Ukraine says Russia attacks border regions as partial results show Putin reelection

In Kyiv, Ukraine, multiple attacks by Russia near the shared border were reported on Sunday, coinciding with early results indicating President Vladimir Putin’s reelection by the largest margin since Soviet times.

Simultaneously, Moscow has accused Kyiv of election interference through days of strikes on Russian infrastructure, marking one of the most extensive aerial operations on Russian soil since Putin’s invasion of Ukraine two years ago.

Reports from Russia’s Belgorod region on the final day of voting revealed that Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov claimed Ukrainian shelling resulted in the death of one man and injuries to 11 others. Additionally, a 16-year-old girl was killed in a border area after a Ukrainian shell ignited her house earlier that day.

Ukraine’s military administration in the Sumy region disclosed 60 instances of shelling in border areas and settlements. They also mentioned a rocket attack in the city of Konotop, causing damage but no reported injuries.

Authorities in Sumy confirmed one fatality and one injury in the Velykopysarivska community, as well as damage to various buildings and infrastructure including a hospital department, kindergarten, library, multi-story building, and gas pipeline.

Ukraine’s emergency services reported that Russian aerial bombs struck a residential area in Vovchansk in the Kharkiv border region, sparking a fire covering 200 square meters and causing damage to structures and vehicles, though no injuries were reported.

Earlier on Sunday, a man was killed and at least eight individuals were wounded in a Russian missile strike on the Black Sea port city of Mykolaiv, following an overnight attack on Odesa.

Mykolaiv’s regional governor, Vitaliy Kim, stated that two strikes occurred in the city, resulting in the death of a man and injuries to a young girl among others.

The Ukrainian ministry of internal affairs shared images of damaged homes, burnt-out vehicles, and rescue workers aiding injured individuals, showcasing the aftermath of the attacks in Mykolaiv.

Moreover, the Ukrainian military reported that Russian airstrikes had caused damage to agricultural enterprises and destroyed industrial buildings in the port city of Odesa, although Reuters could not independently verify these reports.

(Reporting by Maria Starkova in Kyiv and Elaine Monaghan in Washington; Writing by Elaine Monaghan; Editing by Chris Reese)