"Cross-Border Strikes Intensify as Russia and Ukraine Exchange Deadly Attacks"

Russia retaliated with a drone assault on Ukraine after an attack on the Russian city of Belgorod, which killed 24 people and injured over a hundred. Ukraine's Air Force reported shooting down 21 of 49 Russian drones, while the city of Kharkiv suffered damage and casualties, including a British journalist and a Ukrainian translator working with a German TV crew. Russia's Defense Ministry claimed to have targeted military facilities in Kharkiv, alleging Ukrainian forces were involved in the Belgorod attack. The incident escalated tensions, leading to an emergency U.N. Security Council meeting where Russia accused Ukraine of terrorism.