UPDATE: Russia accuses Ukraine of launching missile strikes at residential buildings in Belgorod

RUSSIA’S Defence Ministry has accused Ukraine of firing missiles at residential buildings in the Russian city of Belgorod that killed at least three people on Sunday, July 3.

UPDATE 11.50 am (July 3) – Igor Konashenkov, the Lieutenant-General of Russia’s Defence Ministry, said that Ukraine ‘launched a missile strike at residential areas of Belgorod and Kursk’ and that after being shot down by Russian air defence systems, fragments caused the explosions in the residential area.

“Tonight, from 3 to 3.30 am (Moscow time), the Kyiv regime carried out a deliberate strike with Tochka-U ballistic missiles with cluster munitions and Tu-143 Reis drones on residential areas of Belgorod and Kursk, where there are no military facilities,” he said to journalists on Sunday, July 3.

According to Konashenkov, the strike was purposefully planned and carried out by the Ukrainian side against the civilian population of the Russian Federation.

“All three Tochka-U ballistic missiles with cluster warheads launched by Ukrainian nationalists at Belgorod were destroyed in the air by Russian air defence systems. As a result of the defeat of Ukrainian missiles, fragments of one of them fell on a residential building in the city,” he said.

Russian air defence systems also reportedly destroyed two Tu-143 Reis unmanned aerial vehicles stuffed with explosives, which flew up to Kursk, according to Konashenkov.

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ORIGINAL 9.14 am (July 3) – Videos circulating on social media show the moment a block of residential buildings exploded in Belgorod, Russia in the early hours of Sunday, July 3.

A series of loud explosions were heard in Belgorod, Russia – close to the Ukraine border – at around 3 am and a private residential building was videoed on fire. As a result, three people have been killed and multiple injured.

Belgorod Oblast Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said that four people have been injured including a man and a 10-year-old boy. The main is in critical condition, while the other two were being treated for minor injuries.

Vyacheslav Gladkov said on the streets of Mayakovsky, Michurin, Chumichov, Popov and Pavlov, the blast destroyed 11 apartment buildings and at least 39 private residential buildings.

According to the Ukrainian Army, it was a Russian air defence missile that exploded in Belgorod, although some Russian sources are reportedly blaming Ukraine.

If it was a Russian air defence missile malfunction, it follows the incident in occupied Alchevsk when an air defence system from the Luhansk People’s Republic (LNR) – a breakaway state located in Ukraine formed by pro-Russian separatists – shot itself on Friday, June 24.

On Vyacheslav Gladkov’s Telegram channel, he shared pictures of the aftermath of the fire in which photos show parts of a “Pantsyr” short-range air defence system – which many pro-Ukrainian social media accounts noted are not in service by the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

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