Kyiv, Ukraine: Russia has targeted Ukrainian military sites in Kyiv and Kharkiv as part of a new wave of drone and missile attacks, in retaliation for a deadly attack on the city of Belgorod. The Russian defense ministry stated it struck “decision-making centers and military installations” in Kharkhiv, countering claims by Kyiv that residential buildings, a hotel, and cafes were hit.
In Kharkiv, at least six missiles caused injuries to at least 22 people, impacting residential buildings and a kindergarten. The Ukrainian Air Force reported that most drones were aimed at Ukraine’s defense lines and various civilian, military, and infrastructure targets in the Kharkiv, Kherson, Mykolaiv, and Zaporizhia regions, with 21 out of 49 attack drones destroyed.
Russia accused Ukraine of conducting a “terrorist attack” on civilians in Belgorod, using cluster munitions in strikes that killed at least 22 people and wounded dozens more. The governor of Belgorod region, Vyacheslav Gladkov, urged residents to seek shelter following a missile threat alert in the city.
President Vladimir Putin, in his New Year’s Eve address, emphasized Russia’s resolve, praising military personnel and stating that Russia would “never back down”, reports Al-Jazeera. Moscow warned that the attack on Belgorod “would not go unpunished.”
At a UN Security Council meeting, Russian envoy Vasily Nebenzya claimed Kyiv targeted civilian locations in Belgorod, describing it as a “deliberate, indiscriminate attack against a civilian target.” Nebenzya also defended Russia’s attacks on Ukraine, stating they targeted only military infrastructure and that civilian casualties were due to Ukraine’s air defense systems.
The escalation in attacks comes amid intensifying fighting between Russia and Ukraine, with US President Joe Biden planning to speak to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy following the latest attacks. Biden has reiterated that Putin’s goals in Ukraine “remain unchanged” and that he seeks to “obliterate Ukraine and subjugate its people.”
While Western support for Ukraine remains strong, further military assistance faces growing skepticism among conservative political forces in the US and Europe. The US, Ukraine’s biggest single-country donor, has sent over $40bn in aid since Russia’s invasion in February 2022. However, right-wing congressional Republicans in the US have expressed increasing skepticism towards approving more funds for Ukraine.
