Ukraine attacks on Russia’s Belgorod injure 16, regional governor says

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(Reuters) – A series of Ukraine drone attacks on the region of Belgorod injured at least 16 people on Tuesday, the governor of the region in Russia’s southwest that borders Ukraine said on Wednesday.

Among the injured were a doctor and a paramedic, Belgorod Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said on the Telegram messaging app. Eight people were hospitalised, he added.

The Russian defence ministry said that its units destroyed 12 drones that Ukraine launched overnight, three of them over the Belgorod region. The ministry reports only the number of drones destroyed, not how many Ukraine launched.

Reuters could not independently verify the Russian reports. There was no immediate comment from Ukraine. Both sides deny targeting civilians in the war that Russia started with an invasion of Ukraine 2022.

Russia’s President Vladimir Putin called for direct talks with Ukraine on Thursday, while he called a proposal, issued at the weekend by Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and his European allies for a 30-day ceasefire, an ultimatum.

Zelenskiy said that he would attend the talks that are to take place in the Turkish city of Istanbul if Putin is also there, and urged U.S. President Donald Trump, who offered to join the meeting, to come along as well.

(Reporting by Lidia Kelly in Melbourne; Editing by Michael Perry)