Death Toll in Missile Attack on Russia’s Belgorod Climbs to 16

Rescue workers on Tuesday retrieved a woman’s body from beneath the rubble of an apartment building in the western Russian city of Belgorod that collapsed after being struck by a Ukrainian missile over the weekend, raising the death toll in the attack to 16.

“Another victim was found dead at the site of the collapse of a residential building entrance in Belgorod,” Russia’s Emergency Situations Ministry said on Telegram. “The death toll has risen to 16.” 

Regional authorities said Monday that 15 people were confirmed to have died in the attack, which took place the day before.

Russia’s Defense Ministry said Sunday that it had intercepted multiple Ukrainian rockets targeting the city but said “fragments” of one of the downed projectiles had struck a “residential district.”

The Kremlin said President Vladimir Putin was briefed about Sunday’s attack, but the Russian leader has otherwise not publicly commented on the deadly incident.

Belgorod has been regularly targeted by Ukrainian drone and missile attacks since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022.

Belgorod region Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said early Monday that three other Belgorod residents were killed in a separate shelling attack.

On Tuesday morning, Gladkov said one woman was injured in another attack and a house caught on fire in a Belgorod region village.