Refuge from Russia: The number of people killed in the shelling

Welcome to Refuge from Russia, I'm Tami, and today we’re looking at another grim update from Russia’s Belgorod region, right on the border with Ukraine.Officials there say the death toll from shelling in the village of Smorodino has now risen to four. Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said rescuers recovered the bodies of two women from beneath the rubble. According to the independent outlet Pepel, crews were searching through the debris of a burned-down store after what local reports called a rocket attack. Earlier, authorities had already said two people were killed when a rocket hit the village post office.If you’re listening from the United States, think of this like a small town in a border state suddenly caught in repeated strikes from across the line. It’s not happening on a distant battlefield. It’s hitting places where people work, shop, and pick up mail. A post office. A store. Ordinary landmarks that usually feel as routine as a gas station or a grocery store in any American town.That’s what makes these attacks so sobering. Each update is not just a military statistic. It’s a reminder that civilians are still paying the price, and that the border region has become a flashpoint in this war. Belgorod has been hit again and again since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began, and local officials often release casualty figures as rescue teams continue digging through the wreckage.For many Americans, the scale can be hard to picture. But the human reality is simple: a village was struck, people were trapped, and families are now grieving.That’s the kind of news Refuge from Russia will keep tracking, because behind every headline is a community trying to survive another day.That’s all for today’s Refuge from Russia. I’m Tami, and thank you for listening.