In a tragic incident, five civilians were killed and 12 others injured, including three children, due to Ukraine's shelling of Rakitnoye in Russia's Belgorod region, as reported by Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov. The injured include six individuals in serious condition, one being a 16-year-old girl in intensive care. Gladkov expressed commitment to assist those affected and emphasized the need to endure through these trials. Both Russia and Ukraine have denied targeting civilians amidst the ongoing conflict, which escalated following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Reports from Reuters could not be independently verified, and there has been no immediate response from Ukrainian authorities regarding the incident. The situation highlights the continuing humanitarian toll of the war, which has entered its third year.