The Russian Ministry of Defense and local authorities stated that Ukraine launched 12 missiles and several drones early on Wednesday morning in the Belgorod region of southern Russia. Regional governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said the situation remains "tense" in Belgorod, where Russia reported that 25 civilians, including five children, were killed in Ukrainian attacks on Saturday. There were no reports of casualties from the recent attacks. Gladkov mentioned that the extent of the damage would be assessed throughout the day.
This escalation of Ukrainian attacks on Belgorod comes on the first days of the new year, coinciding with some of Russia's most severe strikes on Ukraine since the war began nearly two years ago. Kyiv reported on Tuesday that Russia has launched more than 300 combat drones and various types of missiles on cities across Ukraine since Friday.
Belgorod, like other Russian regions bordering Ukraine, has experienced sporadic limited attacks since the start of the war, but Saturday's attack was the deadliest ever. President Vladimir Putin stated that this "will not go unpunished." Russian authorities reported that one person was killed and seven others injured in the region on Tuesday.
In the attacks on Wednesday, the Russian Ministry of Defense stated that Ukraine fired six Tochka-U ballistic missiles and six guided missiles launched from a heavy multiple-launch rocket system, the Vilkha. Gladkov added that Ukraine also targeted the area and the city of Belgorod, which is the administrative center of the region. Reuters was unable to independently verify the reports, and there was no immediate comment from Ukraine.
