Russia Strikes Back: Escalation in Ukraine Claims 24 Lives

Russia has announced that it has launched counterattacks on military targets and "foreign fighters" in Kharkiv in response to Ukraine's attack on the Russian border city of Belgorod, which resulted in the deaths of at least 24 people. Ukrainian officials reported that at least three people were killed and 28 others were wounded in the missile and drone strikes on Kharkiv.

In a post on Telegram, Oleh Syniehubov, the head of the regional military administration, reported that rescuers recovered the bodies of two men and a woman from a house that was damaged by Russian attacks in the village of Borova, located in the Kharkiv region. The Ukrainian military also stated that several missiles hit the city of Kharkiv, resulting in injuries to two children.

The strikes caused damage to residential buildings, hotels, and medical facilities, and Ukraine reported continued attacks in Kherson, Mykolaiv, and Zaporizhzhia. According to the Ministry of Defence, Russia targeted military installations and decision-making centers, including a hotel where military commanders and foreign mercenaries were housed.

The former Kharkiv Palace hotel and the headquarters of the Ukrainian SecurityService for the Kharkiv region were hit, the statement said.

A view shows the Kharkiv Palace Hotel heavily damaged by a Russian missile strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kharkiv, Ukraine December 31, 2023.

Vitalii Hnidyi/Reuters

The statement also reported the targeting of a control center utilized by the Ukrainian army in the village of Zalestsy in the Khmelnitsky region, as well as the destruction of fuel depots in Kharkiv and Zaporizhzhia. Additionally, two HIMARS multiple launch rocket systems were confirmed to have been destroyed.

Russia stated that the overnight strikes were a reaction to the fatal Ukrainian attack on the city of Belgorod on Saturday, which Russia's MOD condemned as a "terror attack." The attack claimed the lives of at least 24 people, including three children, and left 108 others injured, making it one of the most deadly assaults on Russian civilians since the start of the war. Ukraine has not released any official statements regarding the incident.

The Russian Defence Ministry had vowed the bombardment "would not go unpunished."

The final weeks of 2023 have seen an increased number of attacks from both sides.

Russia executed its largest air assault on Ukraine to date on Friday, marking a significant escalation in its full-scale invasion. A substantial number of drones and missiles were deployed, resulting in the deaths of a minimum of 45 individuals across the country.