Civilian casualties after a Ukrainian attack on Russian Belgorod… Zelensky sacks joint forces commander over poor performance

Vyacheslav Gladkov, governor of Russia’s Belgorod region bordering Ukraine, said on Tuesday that an elderly woman had died, four people were injured and dozens of buildings damaged in several attacks by Ukraine on the region.

The Russian Defense Ministry said air defense systems destroyed a total of 29 drones launched by Ukraine over the territory of the region.

Gladkov wrote on Telegram that an elderly woman had died in a village near Belgorod, the administrative center of the region.

At least six drones launched by Ukraine over Yakovlevsky in Belgorod were destroyed, he said.

He said two people were wounded there by shrapnel.

Gladkov also reported that another person was injured when a drone was shot down over the city of Belgorod, and a woman was injured in a village.

Dozens of buildings and cars were damaged across the area, he said.

Ukraine says its attacks on Russia’s military, transport and energy infrastructure undermine Moscow’s all-out war efforts and come in response to Russia’s continued attacks on Ukraine’s infrastructure.

On different context, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he had sacked the commander of the joint forces of the armed forces, Lieutenant General Yury Sodol, after reports emerged that he performed poorly during the 28-month war with Russia.

Zelensky, speaking in his evening video address on Monday, gave no reason for his dismissal.

He announced that Brigadier General Andry Hnatov would replace Sodol in the position whose duties include strategic planning of operations.

Sodol’s dismissal followed the publication of a letter from Bohdan Krotevych, head of Ukraine’s respected Azov battalion, in which he said that Sodol’s actions had led to serious military setbacks.

In a Telegram post, in which Sodol wasn’t mentioned by his name, Krotevych said there was a general who killed more Ukrainian soldiers than any Russian general.

“What interests me is that battalion commanders and combat brigades are tried for losing an observation post, but no general is being tried for losing areas, dozens of cities and thousands of soldiers,” Krotevych wrote.

“All military personnel now understand who I’m talking about, because 99% of the military hates it because of what it does”.

According to Ukrainska Pravda newspaper, a leaked report, said a criminal complaint had been filed about Sodol, who was promoted earlier this year.

The newspaper said, Krotevych was ready to testify against him.

The new appointed commander, Brigadier General Andry Hnatov, he was serving as deputy commander of the southern front since 2022 and played a leading role in recapturing much of the southern Kherson region from Russia.

In the spring of 2023, he led the defense of Pakhmut in eastern Ukraine, a city that eventually fell to Russian forces after many months of fierce battles.