Ukraine war: Russia launches fresh drone assault on Kyiv and Kharkiv, officials say

Ukraine is again under attack by Russian drones, officials say, after two days of major aerial assaults by both sides.

There are reports of explosions in Kyiv and Kharkiv, where the mayor said residential buildings were on fire.

Moscow has been retaliating against Ukrainian strikes on the Russian border city of Belgorod on Saturday, which killed at least 20 people.

That came after Russia carried out strikes across Ukraine on Friday.

Those strikes, which killed 39 people, were described by Kyiv as Russia's biggest missile bombardment of the war so far.

The latest attacks happened as Ukraine entered its final day of 2023.

Ukraine's air defence systems in the region surrounding the capital Kyiv were engaged late on Saturday to repel a Russian drone attack, the military administration of the region said on Telegram. Drone attacks have been reported in the north-eastern city of Kharkiv, mayor Ihor Terekhov said on Telegram. "These are not military facilities, but cafes, residential buildings and offices," he said.

"On the eve of the New Year, the Russians want to intimidate our city, but we are not scared - we are unbreakable and invincible."

The extent of the damage is not clear and no casualties have been reported yet.

Earlier on Saturday, Russian strikes injured 19 in Kharkiv, the local government reported.

The latest attacks come after a deadly couple of days in Ukraine and Russia.

Russia's massive bombardment of Ukraine on Friday killed 39 people and injured nearly 160, according to President Volodymyr Zelensky. Several cities were hit, including the capital, Kyiv.

The mayor of Kyiv, Vitali Klitchsko, said at least 16 people were killed in the city - making Friday the deadliest day so far for civilians in the capital.

This was followed by Ukrainian attacks on Russia.

Moscow accused Ukraine of deadly air strikes on the south-west of the country - with 20 people killed and more than 100 injured in Belgorod, near the border.

The regional governor said three children were among the dead in what was one of the deadliest attacks on Russia since it invaded Ukraine.

Speaking to the BBC, the Ukrainian security source said more than 70 drones had been launched against Russian targets, as a "response to Russia's terrorist attacks on Ukrainian cities and civilians".

Addressing the situation in Belgorod, they blamed the "incompetent work of Russian air defence" for civilian casualties - saying this was what caused falling fragments.

Moscow has repeatedly accused Ukraine of being behind drone strikes in recent months. Kyiv rarely admits to such attacks across the border, although it has carried out strikes like this before.