At least six people were killed and four others injured, including a 14-year-old child, in a Ukrainian missile strike on the Russian border region of Belgorod, local authorities said Monday.

Acting Belgorod Region Governor Alexander Shuvaev said the strike hit the village of Koloskovo in the Valuysky municipal district, near Russia’s border with Ukraine. The attack reportedly caused a building to catch fire and damaged a vehicle in the village.

Shuvaev said the four injured people included a 14-year-old child who was taken to hospital for treatment. Two other wounded people received medical assistance at the scene, while all those injured were reported to be receiving medical care.

The deadly strike came less than 24 hours after Ukraine launched what Russian officials described as the largest-scale Ukrainian attack of the year, involving hundreds of drones directed at Moscow and other parts of Russia.

According to Russian authorities, 822 Ukrainian drones were intercepted or destroyed during the overnight assault. The attacks caused casualties in several regions, including the Moscow and Rostov regions. A large fire also broke out at a warehouse belonging to Wildberries, one of Russia’s largest online retailers.

Russian officials said at least seven people were killed in the wider overnight attacks. The Ukrainian strikes came as Kyiv has increasingly expanded its use of long-range drones against targets deep inside Russian territory, particularly facilities it says are connected to Russia’s military and logistics infrastructure.

The latest escalation was accompanied by another wave of Russian strikes against Ukraine. Ukrainian authorities reported deaths and injuries in several regions, including attacks that damaged infrastructure in Kryvyi Rih and other cities. Russia said its strikes were directed at Ukrainian military and strategic infrastructure, while Kyiv accused Moscow of continuing attacks against civilian areas.

The exchange of attacks highlights the rapidly intensifying long-range warfare between the two sides. Ukraine has increasingly targeted Russian military, energy and logistics facilities far from the front lines, while Russia has maintained a sustained campaign of missile and drone strikes across Ukrainian cities and critical infrastructure.

Both Moscow and Kyiv deny deliberately targeting civilians and routinely accuse the other side of causing civilian casualties through attacks launched during the conflict.

The latest casualties in Belgorod could not immediately be independently verified, and there was no immediate detailed public statement from Ukrainian authorities on the reported strike in Koloskovo. Russian authorities also did not immediately specify which missile systems were allegedly used in the attack.

The Belgorod region, which borders Ukraine, has repeatedly come under Ukrainian drone and artillery attacks since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Russian authorities have increasingly reported civilian casualties and damage in border settlements as Ukraine has expanded its ability to conduct strikes beyond the battlefield. (ILKHA)