MOSCOW, May 12, 2024 (BSS/AFP) - A 
Ukrainian strike on the Russian border city of 
Belgorod caused the partial collapse of a 
building that injured at least nine people, 
Russian emergency services said.

"Nine people have been hurt in the collapse of a 
residential building in Belgorod," the Ria 
Novosti news agency quoted rescue services as 
saying.

The emergency situations ministry said 12 
people, including two children, had been 
rescued from the rubble.

The defence ministry said meanwhile the 
Ukrainian army had attacked "residential 
districts in the city of Belgorod".

The ministry said one of a series of Ukrainian 
Tochka-U missiles intercepted by Russian anti-
aircraft defences had "damaged" the building.
The emergency situations ministry warned the 
number of victims could rise as part of the 
building roof caved in just as rescuers were 
searching for survivors.

Belgorod governor Viacheslav Gladkov had 
posted to Telegram a video showing a collapsed 
building with a huge hole in it.

"Following direct shell fire on a residential 
building ... the entire entrance, from the tenth to 
the ground floor, collapsed," Gladkov said, 
condemning "massive bombings" by the 
Ukrainian army.

Belgorod is regularly targeted by Ukrainian 
drone and missile attacks. Kyiv says it is doing 
so to counter daily bombardments by Russian 
forces on Ukrainian cities since the February 
2022 military offensive started.

On December 30, 25 people were killed and 
about 100 injured in one attack.