After more than
a year of
waging war in Ukraine,
Russians are now experiencing
some of the violence on their own soil
in Belgorod,
just across the border from Ukraine.
The region's governor
says at least four people
were injured
after what
they're describing as a massive strike.
That follows
a possible
drone attack
overnight on a Russian oil refinery
See the pictures there.
Local officials say a fire
put out quickly
and there were no casualties.
Still, the scope of these attacks,
the frequency drawing attention.
CNN's Fred Pleitgen, he's in Kiev.
And, Fred,
we've seen a series of these attacks
on both Russian
held territory in Ukraine,
but also crucially,
the territory of Russia.
What are Ukrainian officials
saying about this or are they keeping
deliberately coy
Well, first, I would say
they're absolutely
keeping deliberately coy,
but they certainly are making suggestions
that possibly
they might have a certain role
in all of this.
It was quite interesting
earlier today, Jim,
that adviser to Ukraine's presidency,
he came out
and he said, look, we're not going to say
that we're behind all this.
However,
one of the things that he did
say is that
attacks like these are going to increase,
that the war is increasingly
going to come to Russians
and are going to come
especially to those border areas.
In Russia,
you had, of course,
that drone attack in Moscow,
which the Ukrainians have said
that they had no direct involvement in.
Obviously, that a statement in itself.
But if we look at that Belgorod region,
the one that you were talking about,
I think that's something
that is really key when we look at that,
because from there, we've been hearing
about cross-border attacks really
for the past couple of weeks.
Last week
you had that raid by those
anti-Putin, Russian fighters
that went across the border
there in Belgorod.
Today, you have that shelling
which the governor
there said
he's extremely concerned about.
And I was looking at the area
where that is.
It's in a village called Shabak.
You know, which is right by the border.
It's a small little village,
but it is also very close
to the actual town of Belgorod,
which, of course,
we know Jim is a major logistic hubs
not just
for the Russian military in itself,
but also for their invasion of Ukraine.
So certainly
this is having an unnerving effect
on the Russians,
on the Russian military,
and very much
also on
the people who live down there, Jim.
Listen, I remember
you standing on that border
not far from Belgorod
at the very first stages of this war,
watching those Russian tanks roll in.
Fred, partaken in the capital, Kiev.
Thanks so much.
The key is getting a break.
After days
of incessant Russian strikes over,
we are seeing an uptick in action
across the border.
Five people were wounded in attacks
in Russia's Belgorod region,
something the Kremlin calls alarming.
And they may not be let up any time soon.
A group of dissident
Russian fighters
who claimed last week's incursion
inside Belgorod is now recruiting
drone pilots.
This comes a day after a drone attack
on Moscow.
Russia's foreign
ministry blames Ukraine
and is vowing to retaliate.
CNN has our report.
Same war, different capital,
Moscow hit by a squadron of eight drones,
just enough to say
there was a deafening bang,
as if a huge bolt of lightning
had struck. Somewhere near
the attack was immediately
blamed on Ukraine,
which reels daily
from Russian air assaults,
neutral escapism.
This morning,
the Kiev regime
carried out
a terrorist attack on the Moscow region
and I will stress
aimed at civilian targets.
In total,
eight airplane type drones were used.
All of them were brought down.
I won't kill you.
Kiev was coy about its role
in this drastic escalation.
Of course, we enjoy watching
and predicting an increase in attacks.
But of course, we have nothing to do
directly with it.
What is growing in
Russia is the karmic payment
that Russia
will gradually pay more highly
for everything it does in Ukraine.
And at the capital,
Ukraine's threatening
and offensive to drive Russian troops out
Part of its tactics
have been increased efforts
to destabilize Moscow's forces.
A cross-border raid by anti-Putin,
Russian dissidents
was backed by Ukraine last week.
Frequent attacks on Russian
occupied logistic hubs
like Mariupol and Birdy UNSC.
And now there's a mysterious drone attack
that Russia has blamed on
Ukraine is to get them as quickly
as we can.
Though I'm more worried
not by this,
but by efforts
to provoke a Russian response
that appears to be the aim.
They are provoking us to do the same.
But this is the first drone attack
by anyone on Moscow outside the Kremlin.
Here.
Kiev attacked for the 17th time
this month, Friday.
But Putin's generals
now know that they face attacks
on Ukraine's front lines and at home.
Sam Kiley, CNN, Eastern Ukraine.
Well, CNN
Sam Kiley is with us right now.
We've heard the messaging
coming through from Russia
saying they're ready to retaliate.
Ukraine says they're not to blame
for what we've seen in Belgorod.
And Kiev is quiet,
which I think is very telling.
The big concern here is that
the war could be moving to Russia.
What are you hearing, Sam?
Well, I'm not sure it's a concern at all.
Lenny, if you're Ukrainian,
you'll be absolutely delighted
by that development.
And there is indeed widespread
irony and delight over the fact that
now the Ukrainians
are beginning to show the Russians
what being at war really feels like.
Now, the downside of that,
obviously, is that inevitably
the number of people being injured
and killed are civilians.
But the Ukrainians do appear to be trying
at least
to focus their attentions
on strategic
targets like the
oil refinery down in Krasnodar orbit.
Local authorities
much further north,
just on the northern border
between Ukraine and Russia
in the Belgorod region.
I've said that
six people there
and all of them civilians
have been injured,
that children are having to be evacuated
from alongside
other civilians from border villages
as what is now becoming
almost routine cross-border shelling
by Ukraine
into Russia
the other way round had become
dangerously routine
throughout this war
on an almost daily basis.
Northern villages
are getting shelled by Russia.
So we're seeing this as part of a
I think, the early stages or perhaps
even the main focus
of Ukraine's counter offensive
adviser to President Zelensky
has said on national TV
that there's going to be
an exponential increase
in these sorts of attacks.
The problem
for the international community
is that there are undertakings
from the Ukrainians
not to use the weapons
donated by foreign powers for attacks
inside Russia.
But James Cleverly,
the foreign secretary
of the United Kingdom,
given a bit of top cover
or even a green light
for the Ukrainians,
saying that attacks
against military infrastructure
inside Russia
was consistent
with Ukraine's right to self-defense
and were there for legitimate targets.
And as a consequence of that,
he's been added
or the rather the Kremlin,
via Medvedev, the former
president and prime minister,
now deputy head of the
National Security
Council in Russia, has tweeted out,
saying that members
of the British government
now considered legitimate
military targets by Russia.
That is part of the sort
of public relations tit for tat.
But the significance really is
that James Cleverly has come out and said
that as far as the United Kingdom
is concerned,
within certain parameters, they're fine
with the idea that Russia gets attacked
by Ukraine and any
kind.
Thank you so much.