Ukraine’s south and east as well as capital Kyiv have come under further attack from Russian forces as both sides continue their air assaults.
Vladimir Putin’s offensive comes in apparent revenge after an air assault on the Russian provincial capital of Belgorod - which killed 10, including a child.
Saturday’s attack follows Russian strikes on Ukrainian cities on Friday, which killed 41 and were said to be the biggest missile bombardment of the war so far.
The Ukrainian Air Force said Sunday that it had shot down 21 of 49 drones launched by Russian forces overnight.
As soon as the sun rises, our brave warriors are driving out the occupiers from Ukrainian land.
— Defense of Ukraine (@DefenceU) December 30, 2023
📸: @DI_Ukraine pic.twitter.com/JxEXezJ76N
The attack on the eastern city of Kharkiv wounded 28 people, regional governor Oleh Syniehubov said on Sunday.
He added that a central hotel, apartment buildings, a playgroup, shops and administrative buildings sustained damage.
In the region that surrounds Kyiv, a Russian drone attack caused a fire to break out at a critical infrastructure facility, local officials said, but they did not identify the facility further.
The strikes came after Moscow declared on Saturday that the Belgorod attacks “would not go unpunished”.
A further 108 people were wounded in the strike, regional governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said Sunday, making it one of the deadliest attacks on Russian soil since the start of Moscow's invasion of Ukraine 22 months ago.
Russian authorities accused Kyiv of carrying out the attack, which took place the day after an 18-hour Russian aerial bombardment across Ukraine killed at least 41 civilians.
Russia's defence ministry said it identified the ammunition used in the strike as Czech-made Vampire rockets and Olkha missiles fitted with cluster-munition warheads.
Relief operations in the aftermath of yesterday’s Russian attack continue. Almost 120 cities and villages have been affected, with hundreds of civilian objects damaged.
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) December 30, 2023
I thank all of our State Emergency Service rescuers, municipal employees, police officers, and everyone who is… pic.twitter.com/bWFq2Wv0CU
Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky tweeted: “My condolences go out to their families and loved ones. Those injured have received all the necessary assistance.
“My special gratitude goes to all world leaders, politicians, and public figures who have condemned this attack. I'm grateful to journalists from all over the world who stand by our people and report truthful facts about Russian aggression and our defence.
“Weapons in the hands of Ukrainians are always a means of protecting lives, and each manifestation of Russian terror repeatedly proves that we cannot delay assistance to those who stand against terror. Together, we must defeat it.”
