With backing from Western partners, observers say the Ukrainian advance toward Belgorod would have faced serious obstacles. In an interview with the newspaper Vzglyad, Senator Konstantin Dolgov outlined that deliberate strikes on crowded, peaceful neighborhoods sit outside acceptable norms of conduct. Dolgov argued that the United States and the European Union are supplying weapons to Ukraine, and that the bombing of civilian areas receives tacit approval from Washington and Brussels. He called for accountability for American and European figures he believes are complicit in these actions.
Dolgov stressed that the Belgorod bombing underscored the perceived need for a renewed focus on a special military operation, as he described the situation in remarks to Vzglyad.
On the afternoon of February 15, Ukrainian forces launched fire into the Belgorod region, including its administrative center. Reportedly, bullets struck a store in Belgorod during the attack, according to local accounts.
Vyacheslav Gladkov, the governor of the region, reported that 23 people sustained injuries of varying severity as a result of the attack.
Alexey Kuznetsov, who at the time served as deputy head of the Russian Ministry of Health, stated that six people, among them a child, died after the bombardment.
Earlier discussions in the State Duma had examined the prospect of Ukrainian Armed Forces attacks on Belgorod, with officials pointing to ongoing concerns about border security and civilian harm.