Russian airstrikes hit the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv Sunday injuring at least 28 people and damaging residential buildings hotels a kindergarten and a
Russian airstrikes hit the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv Sunday, injuring at least 28 people and damaging residential buildings, hotels, a kindergarten and administrative buildings.
In the central Ukrainian region of Kirovohrad, another Russian attack Sunday damaged power lines and a non-residential building, the region’s governor reported.
‘The Kirovohrad region is again under enemy fire,’ Andriy Raikovych wrote on the Telegram messaging app, adding that air defenses had been engaged.
On the last day of the year, Ukraine’s air force said it shot down 21 of 49 Russian drones.
In a statement, Russia said it struck the former Kharkiv Palace Hotel and the headquarters of the Ukrainian Security Service for the Kharkiv region, in retaliation for Ukraine’s airstrikes on the Russian city of Belgorod Saturday.
Vyacheslav Gladkov, governor of the Belgorod region, wrote on Telegram that the number of dead in the area has risen to 24 people with 108 injured and scores of apartment buildings damaged.
Russia requested a meeting Saturday of the U.N. Security Council on what it called Ukraine’s indiscriminate attacks on Belgorod, and alleged Ukraine had used cluster bombs. It provided no additional information, and The Associated Press was not able to verify its claims.
“We unequivocally condemn all attacks on cities, town and villages, in Ukraine and in the Russian Federation,” said Khaled Khiari, assistant secretary-general in the U.N. Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs.
“Attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure violate international humanitarian law, are unacceptable and must end now,” he said Saturday.
