The war between Russia and Ukraine has reached a stage of shelling and missile attacks that have not been seen since the beginning of the war, reports Al Jazeera
Ukraine's increased shelling of Belgorod represents a tactical pivot of sorts. In April 2023, two Ukrainian attack helicopters cross the border and fired on an oil depot in Belgorod. It was the first time since the invasion that Russia reported a Ukrainian airstrike on its territory. Since that time, Ukraine has gone on the offensive in Kursk, Crimea near the Black Sea, and even in Moscow.
On Tuesday, Russia stated that its armed forces will do whatever it takes to stop the shelling of Belgorod, which sits on the Seversky Donets River approximately 25 miles north of the Ukraine border with Russia.
Currently, the ground war along the front line in eastern Ukraine is at a relative standstill. Russia has not pushed back the counteroffensive of Ukraine, but Ukraine has not taken back much ground either. So, Russia has reverted to a tactic of aimed at civilians and looks to attack power, fuel and food production to make life even more difficult for them.
The Belgorod attacks injured three people and resulted in the evacuation of hundreds and school closures as well. "Of course, our military will continue to do everything in order to minimise the danger at first and then eliminate it entirely," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters."Now there are three people in intensive care, all of them have undergone surgeries. Doctors assess their condition as stable and severe," said Vyacheslav Gladkov, the head of the Belgorod region.
Russia had launched another barrage of missiles against Ukrainian targets in eastern Ukraine on Monday, killing four civilians and injuring 30, according to Ukrainian officials.
Recently, HNGN reported that U.S. intelligence believes Moscow is increasingly dependent missiles from North Korea to restock its supplys. A centuries old Russian military tactic is to use the winter against its enemies. Analysts believe this is exact what Moscow is attempting to use the North Korean short-range ballistic missiles for.
Last week, HNGN reported that Ukraine had fired two Tochka-U missiles and seven rockets late Tuesday evening followed by six Tochka-U missiles and six Vilkha rockets on Wednesday. The Soviet era Tochka-U missile system is equipped with a range of up to 120 kilometers (75 miles) and a warhead capable of carrying cluster munitions.
