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 escalating drone campaign against Russia’s Belgorod Region, where a hospital treats many of the youngest victims.
Kyiv has intensified long- and mid-range strikes on Russian territory in recent months. This campaign has killed at least 43 civilians, including four children, and wounded more than 400 others within a 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.
At the region’s main children’s hospital, over 260 children have received treatment 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.
Another child, Vladimir, described multiple wounds: “My legs, arms, torso, and head were stitched up,” he stated. “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, emphasized that helping children understand they 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 stated.
Belgorod Governor Aleksandr Shuvaev warned that the region has been targeted by more than 7,000 Ukrainian drone strikes in June, and at the current escalation rate, that figure could reach 12,000.
