Escalating Shelling and Drone Attacks in Belgorod and Nearby Border Regions
On February 23, Ukrainian forces conducted a sizable volley of munitions in the Belgorod region, delivering more than 40 rounds of various types. Local officials monitoring the situation reported these strikes through a regional Telegram channel managed by Vyacheslav Gladkov, the region’s governor.
In the village of Shchetinovka, the onslaught included 30 artillery shells, 10 grenade launcher rounds, and 200 rounds fired from Kalashnikov-style weapons. There were no fatalities recorded, but the clash coincided with air defense activity. While repelling an air attack from the Ukrainian Armed Forces, two vehicles in Razumenskoye were damaged as air defense systems were activated.
Ukrainian forces reportedly targeted the outskirts of the village of Stary in the Volokonovsky district using two unmanned aerial vehicles. In Dronovka, located in the Grayvoronsky urban district, a drone dropped a homemade explosive on an infrastructure and communications facility. Another UAV attacked the village of Antonovka, and an aircraft-type drone was shot down by air defenses over Lomnoye village.
Two explosives fell from a Ukrainian drone in the Shebekinsky urban area of Shebekino. No injuries were reported, but a car and the fence of a private residence sustained damage.
The Ukrainian Armed Forces fired five mortar rounds into Krasnoye and released three additional explosives from a drone. In Pankov, three mortar shells struck the village, causing damage to a natural gas pipeline.
Earlier reports described the scene as tense, with ongoing shelling affecting residents in Belgorod and surrounding towns. At the end of the day, authorities emphasized the need for continued vigilance and defensive readiness in border zones. Attribution: local authorities and field reports from the Belgorod region.