Russia-Ukraine war: At least 13 killed, including five children, in Russian missile strikes

At least 13 Ukrainian civilians have been killed – including five children – in artillery and missile strikes by Moscow’s troops, as more than 100 residents of the Russian border city of Belgorod evacuated to safer areas following deadly shelling from nearby Ukraine.

“As a result of this barbaric attack, 11 people died, including five children aged from three to 17 years. Ten people were injured. Rescue operations are continuing,” Vadym Filashkin, governor of Kyiv-held areas of the partly occupied Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine, said of a strike by Russian S-300 missiles on the Pokrovsk district.

To the south in Kherson region, which is also divided between government-controlled and occupied areas, at least two people were killed and several wounded by Russian shelling on Sunday, according to Roman Mrochko, head of the administration in Kherson city. Since being liberated in late 2022, the city has come under almost daily fire from Russian forces who still hold most of the opposite, eastern bank of the Dnipro river.

Ukraine said air defence units shot down 21 of 28 attack drones and one of three missiles fired by Russia on Sunday, and that 12 people were hurt in a drone strike on the eastern city of Dnipro. Over the new year, dozens of civilians were killed and hundreds injured in waves of Russian air strikes involving some 300 missiles and 200 explosive drones.

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Russian officials said at least 25 people were killed in Ukrainian strikes last week on Belgorod, a city about 40km from the border that is now frequently hit by drones and missiles, damaging residential areas and causing blackouts.

“On behalf of the regional governor Vyacheslav Gladkov, we met the first Belgorod residents who decided to move ... More than 100 people were placed in our temporary accommodation centres,” said Andrei Chesnokov, head of the Stary Oskol district which is about 130km northeast of Belgorod.

Mr Gladkov admitted last Friday that the situation in Belgorod and the border region was “difficult,” and the area faced continued risk from Ukrainian drone and missile strikes.

“I see several appeals on social networks where people write: ‘We are scared, help us go to a safe place.’ Of course we will help! Several families have already been moved,” he said. “There are not enough places in temporary accommodation centres in our region, so I will contact my colleagues, governors of other regions, to help us.”

On Saturday night, when Russian Orthodox believers celebrated Christmas Eve, Russian president Vladimir Putin met relatives of soldiers who have been killed during his 22-month full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

“Many of our men, our courageous, heroic guys, are warriors of Russia even now, during the holiday – with arms in hand they defend the interests of our country,” the Kremlin quoted him as saying.

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