Ukraine downs drones as Russia retaliates for Belgorod attack

The fresh Russian strikes came a day after the deadliest attack on civilians in Russia since the start of the conflict in February 2022.

Residents inspect damage after the overnight Russian drones attack on Kharkiv on Sunday. Picture: AFP

Kyiv said on Sunday it had destroyed 21 of 49 Iranian-made drones fired after Russia vowed to retaliate for what it called a “terrorist attack” on a border city that left 24 dead.

The Ukrainian air force said the “Shahed” drones were particularly targeted at “the frontline of defence, as well as at civilian, military and infrastructure facilities in the frontline territories”.

Six guided missiles had also targeted the northeastern city of Kharkiv, Kyiv said on Telegram, without specifying whether they had hit their targets. Oleg Sinegubov, the head of Kharkiv’s military administration, said 28 civilians had been wounded in the attack on the city, including two teenagers and a foreign citizen.

Residential buildings, offices and cafes were hit in the latest overnight attacks, said Kharkiv mayor Igor Terekhov. “On the eve of the new year, Russians want to intimidate our city, but we are not scared,” he said.

The fresh Russian strikes came a day after the deadliest attack on civilians in Russia since the start of the conflict in February 2022.

The official death toll has risen to 24, with 108 wounded, in Belgorod – 30km from the Ukrainian border – which has been repeatedly struck by what Moscow says is indiscriminate shelling.

The two sides took turns to accuse each other of pummelling civilian areas of their shared frontier region over the weekend.

Russian President Vladimir Putin gave his traditional New Year’s Eve address on Sunday, in which he praised Russia’s soldiers on the frontline and called for unity in the face of “difficult tasks”.

“To all those who are on duty, on the frontline of the fight for truth and justice,” Mr Putin said, “you are our heroes. Our hearts are with you. We are proud of you, we admire your courage.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky vowed in his New Year’s address to wreak “wrath” against Russian forces in 2024, despite what he said were attempts to “undermine” support for Kyiv.

“Next year, the enemy will feel the wrath of domestic production,” Mr Zelensky said.

Ukraine will have at least “a million” additional drones in its arsenal next year, he added, as well as F-16 fighter jets delivered by its Western partners.

The Belgorod attack came a day after Ukraine said that a barrage of Russian missile strikes on several cities, including the capital, had killed 39 people.

AFP