At least 2 dead in strikes on Russian territory, officials say

(BELGOROD, Russia) — At least two people have died in strikes on Russian territory as Russia reported more attacks on Saturday, with drones crashing in its western regions and areas on the border with Ukraine coming under shelling, according to Russian officials.

Russia’s Belgorod region on the border with Ukraine came under multiple rounds of shelling, killing one person, according to its governor, Vyacheslav Gladkov.

In the neighboring Kursk region, which also borders Ukraine, one person was killed by cross-border mortar fire, Kursk Gov. Roman Starovoit said.

Two drones attacked an oil company’s administrative building in Russia’s western Pskov region that borders Belarus, Latvia and Estonia, Pskov Gov. Mikhail Vedernikov reported Saturday.

Vedernikov said the building was damaged as the result of an explosion. 

Another drone went down in the Tver region about 150 kilometers, or 90 miles, north of Moscow, according to local authorities. 

Meanwhile, Russian forces continued their offensive operations, but the pace of the attacks decreased, according to Ukrainian officials.

“Yesterday and today there have not been any active battles – neither in the city nor on the flanks,” Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Malyar said on Telegram.

She added that Moscow’s troops were shelling the outskirts and approaches to Bakhmut.

“The decrease in the enemy’s offensive activity is due to the fact that troops are being replaced and regrouped,” Maliar said. “The enemy is trying to strengthen its own capabilities.”

According to Maliar, Ukrainian troops “firmly hold” the heights overlooking Bakhmut from the north and south, as well as a portion of the outskirts, but have not advanced during the past two days to focus on “other tasks.”

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