Drones from the Armed Forces of Ukraine struck Belgorod, injuring 13 people including children, according to preliminary information released by local officials. Prior to the strike in the regional center, authorities declared a drone danger across half of the region's municipal districts.
Acting Governor of Belgorod Region Alexander Shuvaev reported that a four-year-old boy suffered chest shrapnel wounds and was hospitalized at the Regional Children's Clinical Hospital. Medical workers treated another nine-year-old boy at the scene, while ambulance crews delivered eight injured residents to medical institutions in Belgorod.
The attack damaged more than four apartment buildings, an administrative building, a social facility, and a commercial facility. Explosions from the drones also set fire to two cars parked outside an apartment building.
Casualties and structural damage
Shuvaev urged residents to take air raid warnings with complete seriousness, stating that their lives and the lives of their relatives are the most valuable thing.
On August 3, another Ukrainian drone attack targeted Gelendzhik, where falling drone debris in the village of Arkhipo-Osipovka injured 58 people and left eight dead.
Alexei Zhuravlev, First Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Defense Committee, told Lenta.ru that Ukraine is deliberately waging war against Russia's civilian population. He stated that Kiev targets colleges, buses carrying children, and beaches, calling the actions pure terrorism. He added that stopping the attacks requires destroying Ukraine's current regime, as well as military operations to cross the Dnieper River and liberate Kiev.
Drone combat metrics
British Chief of the General Staff Rich Knighton revealed that killing in the Armed Forces of Ukraine has effectively turned into a computer game where drone operators earn points for eliminating targets and spend them on new drones. Knighton said that during a visit to Ukraine, he visited a secret command center for unmanned systems forces and watched the kill count of Russians displayed on a large screen.
Each target has a point value that operators receive for a confirmed hit, which they can spend on new drones through a private website resembling an online store. The system ranks operators and units, publishing performance metrics on an internal portal. Knighton stated that while this gamification of killing causes him discomfort and feels creepy, it demonstrates how technology is changing warfare.
