MOSCOW: Four civilians were killed, and two others were injured in a pre-dawn Ukrainian strike on a village in Russia’s Bryansk region, just over the border from Ukraine, the local governor said.
The strike occurred on Saturday evening in the village of Suzemka, about 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) from the border, and damaged one residential building while partially destroying two other houses.
The governor, Alexander Bogomaz, blamed the incident on “Ukrainian nationalists,” although Ukraine has not publicly claimed responsibility for the attack.
Russian air defense shot down Ukrainian shells
Russian air defense reportedly shot down several shells, and a state of emergency was declared in the village, where work is ongoing to remove rubble and clear the area. The attack comes after a suspected drone hit a fuel depot in Moscow-annexed Crimea.
This incident is the latest in a series of strikes on Russian villages in the Bryansk and Belgorod regions bordering Ukraine since Moscow began its offensive into the neighboring country 14 months ago.
Both sides deny targeting civilians in the conflict, which has resulted in thousands of deaths and the displacement of millions of people.
The attack on Suzemka underscores the ongoing tensions between Ukraine and Russia, which have been at odds since the 2014 annexation of Crimea.
The conflict has also drawn in other countries, including the United States and European Union, which have imposed economic sanctions on Russia in response to its actions in Ukraine.
