Russia launches fresh air assault on Ukraine's biggest cities

KHARKIV: Russia launched a fresh bombardment of Ukraine in the hours leading into New Year's Eve, Ukrainian officials said, targeting Kyiv and inflicting damage on residential areas of the country's second largest city of Kharkiv.

Ukraine's air defence systems in the region surrounding Kyiv were engaged late on Saturday to repel Russia's drone attack, the military administration of the region said on its Telegram messaging channel.

The scale of the attack and any damage were not immediately clear.

In Kharkiv, in Ukraine's northeast, a fresh drone attack in several waves hit residential buildings in the city centre, spouting fires, Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov said on Telegram.

Twin missile strikes by Russia on Saturday hit the city and injured at least 21 people. "On the eve of the New Year, the Russians want to intimidate our city, but we are not scared - we are unbreakable and invincible!" Terekhov said.

"Information about potential casualties is being clarified."

He posted several photos showing windows blown out of residential buildings and fire fighters putting out a fire at what seemed like a store.

Ukrainian strike on Russia kills one, 32 drones downed

The last week of 2023 has seen increased attacks by both sides, with Russia killing at least 31 civilians in its biggest air assault of the war on Ukraine on Friday, and 20 people killed in a Ukrainian attack on the Russian provincial capital of Belgorod on Saturday.

US President Joe Biden, asked if he'll speak to Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy after Russia's latest attacks in Ukraine, said: "I speak to him regularly."