Russia and Ukraine reported thwarting multiple aerial assaults late Tuesday and early Wednesday, resulting in intensified bombardments along the border areas and necessitating the evacuation of civilians from both sides.

Russian authorities stated that their air defense systems successfully intercepted missiles and drones launched by Ukraine in the border regions of Belgorod, Kursk, and Voronezh. Additionally, drones were downed in Russia's Saratov region. The increased bombing in Ukraine's northeastern border region of Sumy led to Kyiv ordering the evacuation of civilians.

The Russian Defence Ministry, communicating through Telegram, announced that their air defense units intercepted a dozen rockets and missiles over the Belgorod region on Tuesday evening, followed by two more missiles, including a U.S.-made Patriot, over the neighboring Kursk region. Early Wednesday, two drones launched from Ukraine were intercepted near the city of Engels in the Saratov region, where Russia maintains a strategic bomber military base. Fortunately, no casualties or significant damage were reported in these attacks.

Belgorod's Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov disclosed plans to temporarily relocate 1,200 children from the most vulnerable areas to other regions of Russia by the week's end, as approximately 9,000 people have requested evacuation.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy condemned Russia's ongoing attacks on the northeastern region of Sumy in his nightly video address. Zelenskiy highlighted that Russian aviation had dropped nearly 200 guided bombs on Sumy's communities since the beginning of the month, resulting in destruction of civilian infrastructure.

In Sumy, authorities reported 30 instances of shelling on Tuesday, with one fatality in the border community of Velyka Pysarivka, prompting an evacuation effort initiated last week. Around 200 individuals have been evacuated from the endangered areas near Velyka Pysarivka according to Ukrainian local officials.

Both Russia and Ukraine deny deliberately targeting civilians in the conflict, which began with Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine two years ago, resulting in thousands of casualties and millions of displaced people.

The conflict has seen an escalation in the development and use of drones and other aerial weapons, leading to increased attacks on military, energy, and transportation infrastructure on both sides.