Ukraine is targeting Russian border regions, seeking to disrupt life and embarrass Putin
Kyiv's forces seek to embarrass the Kremlin and puncture President Vladimir Putin's argument that life is going on as normal despite the 22-month war. The situation in the border city of Belgorod, which came under two rounds of shelling on Wednesday morning, «remains tense», said regional Gov. Vyacheslav Gladkov, writing on Telegram.
«Air defence systems worked,» he said, promising more details about possible damage after inspecting the area later in the day, part of a New Year's holiday week in Russia.
Ukraine fired two Tochka-U missiles and seven rockets at the region late Tuesday, followed by six Tochka-U missiles and six Vilkha rockets on Wednesday, the Russian Defence Ministry said.
The Soviet-built Tochka-U missile system has a range of up to 120 kilometers (75 miles) and a warhead that can carry cluster munitions.
Ukraine has received some cluster munitions from the United States but the Tochka-U and Vilkha can use their own cluster munitions.
The Russian side of the frontier has come under increasingly frequent attack in recent days. Throughout the war, border villages have sporadically been targeted by Ukrainian artillery fire, rockets, mortar shells and drones launched from thick forests where they are hard to detect.
Lately, as Russia fired missiles and drones at Ukrainian cities, Kyiv's troops have aimed at Belgorod's regional capital, which is about 100 kilometers (60 miles) north of Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city.
Belgorod, with a population of about 340,000, is the biggest Russian city near the border. It can be reached by relatively simple and movable weapons such as multiple rocket launchers.
