Scores killed as Russia steps up attacks on Ukraine

By Stefan J. Bos  

Russia confirmed Sunday it bombarded Ukraine's second-largest city, Kharkiv, with missiles and drones during the early hours of New Year's Eve. It said the strikes were in response to Kyiv carrying out deadly air raids on one of Russia's border cities.

Moscow claimed at least about 24 people, including several children, had been killed in what it called Saturday's "indiscriminate" Ukrainian attacks on Belgorod, which is also a Russian provincial capital.

Images of Belgorod showed cars on fire and plumes of black smoke rising among damaged buildings after a massive blast as air raid sirens sounded.

Russia claimed that its retaliatory strikes hit military facilities in the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv overnight. Moscow added that the sites included a hotel housing military commanders and "foreign mercenaries."

Russia said those killed in the precision bombardments on the former Kharkiv Palace hotel and the headquarters of the Ukrainian security service for the Kharkiv region had been involved in Saturday's attack on Belgorod.

They allegedly also planned other cross-border attacks against Russia.

While most Russian retaliatory attacks were concentrated in the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv in the east, explosions were also reported elsewhere.

Flowers and chocolate bars at a makeshift memorial to the victims of the shelling in Belogorod

Retaliatory attacks

However, Ukraine's reported attack on Belgorod that prompted Moscow's retaliation came after Russia carried out air strikes across Ukraine on Friday.

Kyiv said those Russian attacks killed at least 45 people and were the most immense missile bombardment of the war so far.

There are concerns that it will become more difficult for Ukraine to keep fighting Russia, with the politicians within the United States and European Union becoming increasingly reluctant to transfer billions of dollars more in military aid.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy seemed to acknowledge the difficulties in a New Year's Eve message but urged his nation not to give up the battle. "Despite everything that will happen in other countries, despite any political changes and moods, we need sufficient potential to do our own thing," he said.

"To achieve our goal, it is clear that next year will be a time of many global decisions. And Ukraine needs to be able to influence them. We will fight for our influence for justice in Ukraine," the president stressed.  

Hundreds of thousands of soldiers and civilians are believed to have been killed on both sides as Europe's bloodiest armed conflict will soon enter its third year.