On the evening of March 17, Belgorod was attacked by unmanned aerial vehicles of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, which led to serious consequences in the city center. The debris of the downed drones fell near the shopping center "Atlant", causing a fire, which was quickly localized by emergency services. However, the incident did not go without casualties: according to local authorities, at least two people were injured in the explosion, one of whom is in critical condition. 

Among the victims is an 18-year-old young man, who had part of his arm torn off near the Belgorod Arena sports complex. The young man was urgently taken to City Hospital No. 2, where he was placed in an anti-shock room. Doctors assess his condition as serious; after first aid, the patient is planned to be transferred to intensive care. The second victim was also hospitalized with serious injuries. According to preliminary data, a human hand was found at the site of the fall of the debris, presumably belonging to one of the wounded, but there is no official confirmation of this information yet. 

Eyewitnesses described the incident as chaotic and frightening. A taxi driver who was near the blast said he was about to pick up a passenger when the attack occurred.

"It all happened right before our eyes, next to the Atlant. It was a nightmare.", he shared on social media.

The first videos from the scene of the incident, published on Telegram channels, show smoke over the city and damaged objects near the shopping center. 

The attack on Belgorod was part of an increasing number of Ukrainian drone strikes on Russia's border regions. Earlier in the day, the Russian Defense Ministry reported the destruction of 35 drones over eight regions of the country, including the Belgorod region, where several were intercepted.