Camilla Jessen
A drone attack on Russia’s Belgorod Region administration building coincided with Victory Day commemorations.
A Ukrainian drone struck the Belgorod Region government building on the morning of May 9, according to regional governor Vyacheslav Gladkov.
The incident took place on the day Russia commemorates the 80th anniversary of victory in the Great Patriotic War (World War II).
The hit caused visible damage to the structure but no casualties were reported.
“In Belgorod, a Ukrainian Armed Forces drone attacked the Belgorod Region government building,” Gladkov announced on his official Telegram channel.
He shared that emergency services were promptly deployed to the scene, and Victory Day events were proceeding as planned “with maximum security measures in place.”
Footage released by the regional administration shows damage to a building column and metal debris scattered outside the main entrance.
Local outlet Belgorod No. 1 reported that the drone appeared to target windows near the governor’s office.
This incident follows an earlier announcement by Governor Gladkov that Victory Parade celebrations and the “Immortal Regiment” march would be canceled this year due to the region’s “unsettled operational situation.”
Belgorod city mayor Valentin Demidov confirmed the decision, citing ongoing security risks.
The Russian Ministry of Defense did not issue any public statement acknowledging the drone strike on May 9.
However, the Federal Air Transport Agency, Rosaviatsia, confirmed that airports in Saratov, Nizhnekamsk, and Bugulma were temporarily closed that morning “to ensure flight safety.”
The Belgorod Region, located just across the border from northeastern Ukraine, has frequently come under cross-border shelling, drone attacks, and sabotage attempts since the beginning of the war.