Ukraine Missiles Strike Russian Belgorod Command Post 168km From the Border

Ukraine struck the headquarters of Russia's northern command, which is 168 kilometers from the border. 

This may have been the second hit by US and British supplied missiles inside Russia in as many days. The targeting was reportedly followed by explosions and fires. JL

Reuters reports:

Ukraine successfully targeted a Russian command post in the town of Gubkin in Russia’s Belgorod region, around 168 km from the border with Ukraine a day after Ukraine used the U.S.-made ATACMS missiles to strike a Russian ammunition depot. Explosions and a fire breaking out were reported with electricity temporarily cut to some districts and emergency crews were on site repairing damage.

Ukraine said on Wednesday that it successfully targeted a Russian command post in the town of Gubkin in Russia’s Belgorod region, around 168 km from the border with Ukraine. The military intelligence agency’s statement came a day after Ukraine used the U.S.-made ATACMS missiles to strike a Russian ammunition depot. The Ukrainians did not specify which unit carried out the attack, when it took place or the type of weapon used.

Earlier on Tuesday, Ukraine used U.S. ATACMS missiles to strike Russian territory, taking advantage of newly granted permission from the outgoing administration of U.S. President Joe Biden on the war’s 1,000th day.

Russia said its forces shot down five of six missiles fired at a military facility in the Bryansk region. Debris of one hit the facility, starting a fire that was swiftly put out and caused no casualties or damage, it said.

Ukraine said it struck a Russian arms depot about 110 km inside Russia, an attack that caused secondary explosions. Ukraine’s military did not publicly specify the weapons used, but a Ukrainian government source and a U.S. official confirmed it had used ATACMS.

Air defence units of Russia destroyed 42 Ukrainian drones in at least eight southern and central regions on Tuesday evening, including 32 in Bryansk region on the border and two in Moscow region, officials said. The ministry said 32 of the drones had been destroyed in the border region of Bryansk.

Ukraine has long deployed drones over long distances to hit targets deep inside Russian territory, including airfields and sites associated with energy.

But the use of dozens of drones dispatched over a short period of time was unusual.

Bryansk Regional Governor Alexander Bogomaz reported air defences in action in a series of posts on the Telegram messaging app. He reported no casualties or damage.

The Defence Ministry said two drones had been destroyed in Moscow region around the Russian capital, with another downed in Smolensk region, near the border with Belarus.

The ministry also reported one drone downed each in central Oryol region and in the border regions of Rostov and Kursk.

In Voronezh region, another border region further west, Governor Aleksandr Gusev said drones had attacked a plant producing “strictly civilian” goods, triggering a fire. Staff were evacuated and there were no injuries.

The governor of Rostov region, on Ukraine’s eastern border, reported two drones intercepted, while the governor of Kaluga region, further north, said air defences had been in action against drones, without giving details.

In Belgorod Region, opposite northeastern Ukraine, regional Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said several drones had been downed, with no casualties.

Gladkov said falling debris had damaged an industrial plant, infrastructure sites and power lines in the town of Alekseyevka, north of the border.

Electricity was temporarily cut to some districts and emergency crews were on site repairing damage.

Video posted on both Russian and Ukrainian military blogs showed explosions and a fire breaking out in Alekseyevka. One Ukrainian site posted a video of blasts in Voronezh region.