CRIMEA and two Russian regions neighbouring Ukraine saw another wave of attacks today, Moscow officials said, a day after Kyiv was hit by massive bombardment and amid intensifying aerial attacks on both sides.

“The situation in Belgorod continues to be tense. There were two attacks in the morning,” Belgorod Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said.

Russian air defence said it destroyed six missiles over Belgorod, which has been repeatedly struck throughout the conflict.

One person was killed and 11 injured the day before, Gladkov said.

An aerial attack damaged infrastructures and caused power cuts in the Kursk region, to the north of Belgorod, its Governor Roman Starovoyt said on Telegram.

Another missile was downed near Sevastopol in the Crimean peninsula that Russia annexed in 2014, Starovoyt said, with no reported damage.

Russian regions bordering Ukraine have seen regular strikes since the beginning of the offensive.

But Belgorod has been particularly hit in the wake of massive Russian strikes on Ukraine last week.

On December 29, a massive bombardment across Ukrainian cities, including Kyiv, killed over 30 people.

In retaliation, Belgorod faced a wave of attacks over the weekend, with 25 people killed – an unprecedented toll since the beginning of the offensive almost two years ago.

Russia then launched 99 missiles over Ukraine on yesterday morning, Kyiv said, with five dead. – AFP, January 3, 2024.