"Russia Escalates Assault with Missiles and Drones in Retaliation for Border City Attack"
Russia conducted retaliatory strikes on Kharkiv, Ukraine, targeting military sites and "foreign mercenaries" after accusing Ukraine of a deadly attack on the Russian city of Belgorod, which resulted in at least 24 deaths. The Russian strikes on Kharkiv killed at least three people and injured 28, with damage to residential buildings and infrastructure. Russia's Ministry of Defence claimed to have hit military command centers and destroyed fuel depots and HIMARS rocket systems in response to what it called a "terror attack" by Ukraine. The escalation marks a significant increase in attacks as the year ends, following Russia's largest air assault since the invasion began.