Putin Describes Ukrainian Attack on Belgorod as "Terrorism"

Russian President Vladimir Putin described the series of Ukrainian missile attacks on the Russian border city of Belgorod, which resulted in the death of 20 and injury of 111 others, as an "act of terrorism" that will not go unpunished, vowing more strikes on Ukrainian targets. In a meeting with soldiers at a military hospital in Moscow, Putin stated that the attacks—conducted amid intensive Russian airstrikes on the Ukrainian cities of Kyiv and Kharkiv—"will not go unpunished." He emphasized that "Russia will continue to strike important military targets in Ukraine." Russia denies Western and Ukrainian accusations that it targets civilian infrastructure. In a broader discussion with the soldiers, Putin remarked that the course of the war in Ukraine is shifting in favor of Russia and that Moscow hopes to end the war but only on its own terms. Putin's traditional New Year speech, delivered yesterday, contained only a fleeting mention of the war in Ukraine, contrasting sharply with last year's address.