The strike hit the village of Maslova Pristan early on Wednesday, Gladkov said. Emergency workers were searching for people feared trapped under rubble. It is the third consecutive day Ukraine has struck the region, leaving thousands of people without power and at least two others dead. Ukraine has not commented on the attacks but has repeatedly struck targets inside Russia, including Belgorod, during the war. Russian strikes also caused power outages in several Ukrainian regions, Ukraine's energy regulator said.

Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. As winter approaches, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said Russia is targeting Ukraine's critical energy-generating facilities, while Kyiv has been targeting key Russian oil refineries. Wednesday's series of drone and missile attacks damaged homes, vehicles and power lines in multiple districts of Belgorod, Gladkov wrote on Telegram.

He shared photographs from Maslova Pristan showing a sports centre with its roof and walls blown apart, and said rescue workers were clearing debris and assessing the damage. In the nearby town of Moshchenoye, six people - including a child - were injured when a rocket and drone struck a truck, while a man was hurt when a car was hit in Masychevo. The strikes follow two days of similar attacks that have caused blackouts and structural damage in Belgorod city and surrounding areas. Videos verified by BBC Verify showed explosions and fires near a local power station late on Tuesday. (BBC)