Sawt Falasteen - Russia says repels Ukrainian attack on border

The Ukrainian capital faced nearly nightly air raids throughout last month.

As Kyiv deployed its air defences against a fresh volley of Russian missiles, Moscow said it pushed back an attempt by Ukrainian troops to invade its southwestern Belgorod region at about 3:00 am (0000 GMT).

"Overall, the attack involved up to 70 militants, five tanks, four armoured vehicles, seven pickup trucks and a Kamaz truck," the Russian defence ministry said in the evening, reporting at least three attempted crossings.

It said it used air force and artillery to repel the attacks, killing more than 50 Ukrainian fighters.

The Belgorod region, which saw an unprecedented two-day armed incursion last week, has come under intensified fire in recent days.

Regional governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said 12 people had been wounded in the previous 24 hours in the district of Shebekino, whose residents poured into centres for displaced people in Belgorod city.

"There are many families with children, including infants and disabled people. We will try to provide them with as much care as possible," Belgorod mayor Valentin Demidov said.

Two people were wounded in the city when a drone crashed near a petrol station, Demidov said.

- 'Not a single word' -

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said President Vladimir Putin was being constantly informed of the situation.

"The main question now is to provide assistance to people and support resettlement for those who need it," he added.

Peskov also denounced the silence from the international community over the strikes.

Despite "every opportunity to see the footage describing strikes on residential buildings, social infrastructure... there is not a single word criticising Kyiv," Peskov said.

Russia has seen repeated attacks on its soil, with a drone attack in Moscow last week.

After at least eight drones were used in that attack, the Russian foreign ministry accused the West of "pushing the Ukrainian leadership towards increasingly reckless acts".

Ukraine has denied "direct involvement".

Separately, Russia's air defences shot down several Ukrainian drones near the city of Kursk, the regional governor said early Friday.

"We ask the residents of Kursk to remain calm, the city is under the reliable protection of our army," Roman Starovoyt said on Telegram.

The wider Kursk region, which like Belgorod borders Ukraine, has been regularly bombarded by Kyiv's forces since the conflict broke out.

- 'Screams and dust' -

Moscow's latest attack on Kyiv began just before 3:00 am local time when missiles were fired from Russia's Bryansk region.

Ukraine's air force said it intercepted and destroyed all 10 missiles.

Three people, including a nine-year-old child, were killed in Kyiv's northeastern Desnyanskyi district as a result of falling rocket fragments. Another 16 people were wounded.

The husband of one of the victims, Yaroslav Ryabchuk, said the shelter where they routinely hid from Russian strikes was closed on Thursday, and he ran to seek help.

"When I came back, there was a lot of blood, children and women were lying there. There were screams and dust," he told AFP.

"Nothing matters anymore," he said, adding his children have been "left without a mother".

Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko confirmed the three people were killed when a fragment of a rocket fell close to a clinic as they ran for cover after an air raid alert.

"A closed shelter in wartime is not just indifference, it is a crime," said Interior Minister Igor Klymenko, adding that an investigation had been opened.

In a press conference in Moldova, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said people would be "held responsible" for the closed shelter.

Moscow says it only targets military installations in Ukraine.

- Grain export slowdown -

Meanwhile, the UN secretary-general's office on Thursday expressed concern over a drop in Ukrainian grain exports across the Black Sea, citing the "specter of food inflation".

A crucial agreement allowing the grain to reach the global market was renewed again in May but for only two months.

"In May, 33 vessels departed Ukrainian ports, half of the number compared to April."

He linked part of the slowdown to Russian demands that its own exports of fertiliser components be freed up despite strict sanctions.

P.Tamimi--SF-PST