Russia Says Kharkiv Strikes A Retaliation For Ukraine’s Attack

Russia says it has targeted Ukrainian military sites in the capital Kyiv and Kharkiv in a new wave of drone and missile attacks in days, in retaliation for a deadly attack a day earlier on the city of Belgorod.

The Russian Defence Ministry said on Sunday it had struck “decision-making centres and military installations” in the Northeastern city of Kharkhiv, after Kyiv said that residential buildings, a hotel and cafes had been hit.

In the first wave of overnight attacks, at least six missiles hit Kharkiv, Ukraine’s National Police said on Sunday, injuring at least 22 people and hitting 12 apartment buildings, 13 residential houses and a kindergarten.

Most drones were aimed at Ukraine’s first line of defence as well as at civilian, military and infrastructure in the Kharkiv, Kherson, Mykolaiv and Zaporizhia regions, the Ukrainian Air Force said, adding that it destroyed 21 out of 49 attack drones.

Earlier, Ukrainian officials said that among those injured in Kharkiv were two boys aged 14 and 16 and a security adviser for a team of German journalists.

Closer to midnight, as part of a wider bombardment of Ukraine that also targeted Kyiv, several waves of Russian drones hit residential buildings in Kharkiv’s centre, spouting fires, the mayor of Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, said.

“On the eve of the New Year, the Russians want to intimidate our city, but we are not scared, we are unbreakable and invincible!” Mayor Ihor Terekhov said.

Zelenskyy has noted that Kyiv’s “foreign policy will be active” with many international activities in January.

“We make every effort to strengthen Ukraine and ensure that everyone is confident about the coming year, about military aid, macro-financial assistance, and political support,” he said.

ALJAZEERA