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UPD: The death toll reached 18 civilians, 111 others were wounded.
UPD on the morning of December 31: At least 24 people were killed, including four children. 131 civilians were wounded, including 18 children.
The Russian Ministry of Defence commented on the Ukrainian attack on civilians in the city of Belgorod, revealing important details. The Russian military officially confirmed that the city center full of civilians was shelled with prohibited cluster munitions designed not for precise defeat, but aimed to inflict maximum damage to manpower (civilians) in a large area. The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation warned that the Ukrainian strike on the center of Belgorod will not go unpunished.
According to the ministry, Kiev fired at Belgorod with Olkha (Alder) MLRS with cluster munitions and missiles for the Czech-made Vampire MLRS, most of which were intercepted. At the moment, the deaths of at least 24 civilians, including two children, were confirmed. At least 108 civilians more were wounded.
‘Today, the Kiev regime attempted to launch an indiscriminate combined strike on the city of Belgorod with two Olkha missiles with prohibited cluster munitions, as well as Czech-made MLRS Vampire missiles.
Olkha missiles and most of the Vampire MLRS missiles were intercepted by Russian air defense systems. Several rockets and cluster parts from downed Olkha missiles hit the city of Belgorod.
In the case of a direct strike by Olkha missiles with cluster warheads on the city, the consequences would be immeasurably more severe.’ – the Russian Defense Ministry reported.
The Russian Defense Ministry explained that this was the way that Kiev attempted to distract attention from its defeats at the front, as well as provoke Moscow into similar response. However, the Ministry noted that, unlike the Ukrainian army, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation only target military facilities and infrastructure which provides for the needs of the Ukrainian military.
‘The Kiev regime, by indiscriminately striking crowded squares and committing this crime, is trying to distract attention from defeats at the front, as well as provoke us to such actions. We emphasize that the Russian Armed Forces strikes only on military facilities and directly related infrastructure.
We will continue to act like this. This crime will not go unpunished.’
As a result of the Ukrainian attack, several fires broke out in the city center. Most of the strikes hit crowded places, including the local cinema, the shopping center and Cathedral Square. Judging by the locations of most of the strikes, the target of the attack was precisely the city center and crowded areas where civilians gathered on the New Year’s Eve.
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It is important to compare that the recent massive Russian strikes with more that 150 missiles and drones resulted in deaths of only 12 Ukrainian civilians, according to the official data provided by the emergency services. Most of them were killed by the failed strikes of Ukrainian air defense systems and as a result of unprofessional actions of air defense forces deployed in the densely populated cities but not on their outskirts. LINK The similar number of casualties as a result of a single Ukrainian attack is a clear evidence that Ukrainian Nazis intentionally targeted the crowded areas in the Russian city.
Footage of the strikes confirmed that the attack was launched with the prohibited cluster munitions, as numerous secondary explosions were heard. the precision strike on civilians with prohibited cluster weapons is a war crime. This is the way the terrorist Kiev regime has been fighting against the population in the Donbass, this is how it is terrorising civilians in Russia today.
Meanwhile, the Nazis in power in Kiev are celebrating the victory, mocking the deaths of civilians. They will soon cry again after Russian retaliation strikes. The Russian military is yet to attack the decision-making centers in Kiev, but the Ukrainian leadership is trying its best to provoke Moscow.
Former Ukrainian deputy and one of the main talking heads of the Kiev regime wrote: “Happy New Year, bitches!” in Russian
Kiev is already freely attacking the Russian territories with foreign weapons from NATO. Moreover, some Russian military sources claimed that according to the information they received, the terrorist attack on Belgorod was planned and carried out with the direct participation of the Ministry of Defense and the British special services.
