MOSCOW: Ukrainian shelling injured three people in the Russian region of Belgorod late on Monday and air defences downed 10 RM-70 Vampir rockets, Russian officials and the defence ministry said. Belgorod has come under repeated attack from Ukrainian forces in recent weeks.

A missile and drone attack late last month killed 25 civilians, including five children.

“The city of Belgorod was shelled again last night, and people were injured,” Gladkov said on the Telegram messaging app.

“Now there are three people in intensive care, all of them have undergone surgeries. Doctors assess their condition as stable and severe.”

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There was no immediate comment from Ukraine. Gladkov said the attack blew out windows in two multi-story apartment buildings and several cars were damaged.

Russia’s defence ministry said air defences had shot down 10 rockets fired from the RM-70 Vampir multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS).

Since the start of the war, the Ukrainian military reportedly received a number of the RM-70 Vampir rockets systems from the Czech Republic.

Gladkov said he had turned to other regions for help in accommodating children from Belgorod and that if necessary teachers would also be sent out of the region.