Kiev and Moscow exchanged attacks overnight, while Russia sent more artillery units to the Kursk region to push back the Ukrainian army.

According to officials in the Russian region, at least five people were killed and 13 others injured in a nighttime Ukrainian attack on Belgorod.

The region’s governor, Vyacheslav Gladkov, announced the death toll on Sunday morning via the messaging service Telegram and said that three minors were among those injured in the attack on the settlement of Rakitnoye.

“We will definitely help everyone who has suffered,” Gladkov said, adding: “Our task now is to persevere, overcome trials and cope with difficulties.”

Kiev has stepped up its attacks on Russian territory after launching a surprise ground offensive in Russia’s Kursk region two weeks ago.

In mid-August, Gladkov declared a state of emergency in the region due to Ukrainian bombings.

In response, the Russian Defense Ministry announced that it was sending additional troops to the region to defend it in light of the Kursk invasion.

The ministry announced on Sunday that it had sent additional artillery units to Kursk to assist soldiers in pushing back Ukrainian forces.

Hotel strike

Meanwhile, in Ukraine, the governor of the eastern Donetsk region, Vadym Filashkin, said on Sunday that a Russian airstrike had hit a hotel in Kramatorsk during the night.

Two journalists were injured in the attack and a third was missing, Filashkin said. They were British, American and Ukrainian citizens and a search operation was underway.

The Reuters news agency said in a statement that its six-man team was staying at the Sapphire Hotel in Kramatorsk at the time of the hit.

“One of our colleagues is missing, two others have been taken to hospital for treatment,” Reuters said.

“Three more colleagues were missing. We are urgently looking for further information, working with the authorities in Kramatorsk and supporting our colleagues and their families,” it said.

The agency said the Russian Defense Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the attack.

At the same time, Russia fired several missiles and drones overnight at northern and eastern Ukraine, including the frontline regions of Chernihiv, Sumy, Kharkiv and Donetsk.

The Kiev military claimed that the country’s air defenses destroyed “most of the missiles,” without giving the exact number.

Kharkiv city mayor Ihor Terekhov said the Russian attacks damaged a gas pipeline and destroyed at least two houses and damaged ten.

Oleh Sinehubov, governor of the Kharkiv region, said seven people were injured in the Russian attacks, including a four-year-old child.