In the hours leading up to New Year’s Eve, Russia bombarded the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv with missiles and drones, according to Ukrainian officials, just hours after Moscow accused Kyiv of carrying out a deadly airstrike on the neighboring city of Belgorod.
Russian Attacks on Kharkiv
In the initial waves of Russian attacks, at least six missiles hit Kharkiv, according to Ukrainian police on Sunday, resulting in at least 22 injuries and the destruction of 12 residential buildings, 13 homes, and a kindergarten.
Damage and Casualties
Earlier, Ukrainian officials reported that among the injured in Kharkiv were two children aged 14 and 16, and a security advisor for a team of German journalists.
Attacks on Residential Buildings
Late at night, as part of a broader bombing campaign against Ukraine that also targeted Kyiv, multiple waves of Russian drones struck residential buildings in central Kharkiv, leading to fires, according to the mayor of Kharkiv, the second largest city in Ukraine.
Municipal Response to the Attacks
“On New Year’s Eve, the Russians want to terrorize our city, but we are not afraid – we cannot be broken or defeated!” stated Kharkiv Mayor Igor Terekhov.
Ukrainian Attack on Belgorod
The attacks came hours after Moscow described what it called a “random” airstrike by Ukraine on the city of Belgorod, near Kharkiv and north of the Ukrainian border, which resulted in the deaths of at least 22 people.
Russian Reports
The Russian newspaper “Kommersant” quoted a source close to the Russian investigative committee saying that Ukraine launched its attack on Belgorod from a multiple rocket launch system in the Kharkiv region.
Material Damage
Terekhov posted several images showing shattered windows of residential buildings and firefighters extinguishing a fire in what appeared to be a store.
Escalation of Attacks
The attacks intensified in the last week of 2023, with Russia killing at least 31 civilians in its largest air assault on Ukraine on Friday.
Statements from the U.S. President
When asked if U.S. President Joe Biden would speak with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky after the latest Russian attacks in Ukraine, he said: “I speak to him regularly.”
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