Russia threatens harsh response after attack on Ukraine left 14 dead

Russia has blamed Ukraine for the attack that left fourteen dead on Saturday in Belgorod. one of the deadliest for the civilian population on Russian territory since the beginning of the conflict, and promised to respond, one day after the ferocious and massive bombings caused 39 deaths on Ukrainian territory.

“According to the latest information, 12 adults and two children died in Belgorod,” the Russian Ministry for Emergency Situations said on Telegram, indicating that “108 people, including fifteen children, were injured.”

The images posted online show cars on fire, buildings with broken windows and columns of black smoke in the city.

Ukraine regularly carries out attacks in Russia, especially in regions closest to its territory, but the death toll is generally much lower.

Russia has called for a UN Security Council meeting after the attack.

“We have called for a Security Council meeting in Belgorod for 3 pm in New York,” Russia’s deputy ambassador to the United Nations, Dmitri Polianski, said on Telegram.

The Ministry of Defense assured this that this attack will not go “unpunished”.

Russian forces managed to intercept two missiles and “most” of the rockets fired at the city, the ministry added, avoiding an “infinitely more serious” death toll. However, several rockets and missile debris fell on Belgorod.

Russian President Vladimir Putin was “informed” of this attack on “residential neighborhoods”, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, according to Russian agencies.

Ukraine did not react in principle to the Russian accusations.

Ukraine counts its dead

Ukraine was still counting its casualties on Saturday, following intense shelling the previous day in several cities, including the capital Kiev.

The wave of attacks, one of the most violent since the beginning of the war almost two years ago it targeted buildings, a maternity ward and even a shopping center, but also industrial and military infrastructure.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Saturday that “for the time being, 39 people died unfortunately” throughout the country, adding that around a hundred people were injured.

“Around 120 cities and towns have been affected,” he said, adding that search operations continue.

In Kiev alone, at least 16 people died on Friday, according to the local administration.

Saturday Bodies continued to be pulled from the rubble. in this city, where fatal attacks had decreased in recent months.

This attack was “the largest in terms of civilian casualties,” Kiev Mayor Vitali Klitschko said on Saturday, declaring January 1 a “day of mourning.”

According to Air Force spokesman Yuri Ignat, this is the “most massive missile attack” of the conflict, not counting the first days of the war that began in February 2022.

Failure of the counteroffensive

Ukraine ends a difficult year, marked by the failure of its counteroffensive and a revival of the Moscow forceswhich this week claimed the capture of the town of Marinka on the Eastern Front.

This news is worrying for Kiev as Western aid begins to dwindle, both in Europe and the United States, raising the risk that the flow of ammunition and funds will dry up.

Zelensky issued a new appeal to his allies on Saturday, saying arming Ukraine was “a way to protect human lives.”

“Every manifestation of Russian terror shows that we look forward to providing assistance to those who are fighting,” he said.

Some words that recall those of his American counterpart Joe Biden, who called on his country’s elected officials to “act without further delay” to help Kiev.

Washington has just allocated a new fund of 250 million dollars, the last without a new vote from Congress, which for the moment refuses to allocate further aid.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has vetoed a new European Union aid package, an issue the Europeans hope to resolve at a February 2024 summit.

Source: AFP