Ukrainian strikes rock Russia as vote cements Putin’s grip on power

Ukrainian attacks in Russia kill two, set oil facility ablaze, disrupting elections and prompting harsh response from Putin.

Ukrainian bombardments killed two persons and set an oil facility ablaze in Russia on March 16, officials said, on the second day of elections guaranteed to cement President Vladimir Putin's rule. Presidential polls opened this week but voting has been marred by an uptick in fatal Ukrainian aerial attacks and a series of incursions into Russian territory by pro-Ukrainian sabotage groups.

Fresh bombardments prompted authorities to close schools and shopping centres in the Belgorod region bordering Ukraine, undermining the Kremlin's efforts to isolate Russians from its conflict with its neighbour — particularly during the highly touted elections.

Mr. Putin, who cast his vote online, vowed a harsh response to the assaults and accused Kyiv of trying to "disrupt" his bid for another six-year mandate.

The Governor of the Belgorod region said air defence systems had downed eight Ukrainian missiles but that two residents were killed and others injured.

"A man was driving a lorry when a shell hit him, after which the vehicle crashed into a passenger bus. The people on it were not injured," Vyacheslav Gladkov wrote on social media. "Another woman was killed in a parking lot where she and her son came to feed the dogs. Medics are fighting for her son's life," he added.

In a separate post, Mr. Gladkov announced that schools and shopping centres in the city of Belgorod and some surrounding districts would close temporarily over the coming days, the second time this month. Russia's Defence Ministry earlier said it had downed rockets, missiles and drones in the border regions of Belgorod and Kursk that have suffered an uptick in fatal attacks in recent weeks.

The Ministry later said it had fought off more "attempts to infiltrate into the territory of the Russian Federation by Ukrainian militant sabotage and reconnaissance groups".