Russia Says Ukraine Attacks Belgorod Region Again with Missiles and Drones 

This handout picture posted on January 2, 2024 on the official Telegram account of Vyacheslav Gladkov, governor of the Belgorod region, shows aftermath of a missile strike on the region. (Photo by Handout / TELEGRAM / @VVGLADKOV / AFP)
This handout picture posted on January 2, 2024 on the official Telegram account of Vyacheslav Gladkov, governor of the Belgorod region, shows aftermath of a missile strike on the region. (Photo by Handout / TELEGRAM / @VVGLADKOV / AFP)
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Russia Says Ukraine Attacks Belgorod Region Again with Missiles and Drones 

This handout picture posted on January 2, 2024 on the official Telegram account of Vyacheslav Gladkov, governor of the Belgorod region, shows aftermath of a missile strike on the region. (Photo by Handout / TELEGRAM / @VVGLADKOV / AFP)
This handout picture posted on January 2, 2024 on the official Telegram account of Vyacheslav Gladkov, governor of the Belgorod region, shows aftermath of a missile strike on the region. (Photo by Handout / TELEGRAM / @VVGLADKOV / AFP)

Ukraine launched 12 missiles and several drones in the early hours of Wednesday on Russia's southern region of Belgorod, Russia's defense ministry and local authorities said.

Regional governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said the situation "continues to remain tense" in Belgorod, where Russia says 25 civilians including five children were killed in Ukrainian attacks on Saturday.

There was no word of any casualties from the latest attacks. Gladkov said the extent of damage would be assessed throughout the day.

Ukraine's escalation of attacks on Belgorod over the New Year period has come as Russia launched some of its most intense strikes on Ukraine since the war began almost two years ago. Kyiv said on Tuesday that Russia had launched well over 300 attack drones and missiles of various kinds at cities across Ukraine since Friday.

Belgorod, like other Russian regions on the border with Ukraine, has seen frequent low-level attacks since the start of the war, but Saturday's was by far the deadliest. President Vladimir Putin said it would "not go unpunished".

One person was killed and seven more wounded in the region on Tuesday, Russian authorities said.

In Wednesday's attacks, Russia's defense ministry said Ukraine fired six Tochka-U ballistic missiles and six guided missiles launched from a Vilkha heavy multiple rocket launcher.

Gladkov said Ukraine also launched several drones on the region and the city of Belgorod, which is the administrative center of the region.

Reuters could not independently verify the reports. There was no immediate comment from Ukraine.



Hurricane Simon Expected to Become Major Hurricane off Mexico Coast

A member of the Mexican Army stands on the Malecon waterfront during the implementation of Plan DN-III-E, a disaster relief plan, as waves crash ashore ahead of Hurricane Simon in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, October 10, 2026. REUTERS/Christian Ruano
A member of the Mexican Army stands on the Malecon waterfront during the implementation of Plan DN-III-E, a disaster relief plan, as waves crash ashore ahead of Hurricane Simon in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, October 10, 2026. REUTERS/Christian Ruano
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Hurricane Simon Expected to Become Major Hurricane off Mexico Coast

A member of the Mexican Army stands on the Malecon waterfront during the implementation of Plan DN-III-E, a disaster relief plan, as waves crash ashore ahead of Hurricane Simon in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, October 10, 2026. REUTERS/Christian Ruano
A member of the Mexican Army stands on the Malecon waterfront during the implementation of Plan DN-III-E, a disaster relief plan, as waves crash ashore ahead of Hurricane Simon in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, October 10, 2026. REUTERS/Christian Ruano

Hurricane Simon is expected to become a major hurricane on Sunday near ‌the ‌west-central coast ‌of Mexico ⁠and move very close ⁠to the coast on Monday, ⁠the US National ‌Hurricane Center ‌said.

Simon was ‌located ‌about 60 miles (96.56 km) west-southwest of Manzanillo, ‌Mexico, early Sunday morning, ⁠packing ⁠maximum sustained winds of 155 mph, NHC said in its latest update.


Russia Says It Has Captured Four Settlements in Ukraine

FILE PHOTO: Smoke billows from Yandex's Sasovo hub, one of the company's five large data centers, after a fire following a drone strike forced the suspension of operations at the site, which hosts tens of thousands of servers, Sasovo, Russia, in this screengrab obtained from a social media video on October 8, 2026. SOCIAL MEDIA/via REUTERS.
FILE PHOTO: Smoke billows from Yandex's Sasovo hub, one of the company's five large data centers, after a fire following a drone strike forced the suspension of operations at the site, which hosts tens of thousands of servers, Sasovo, Russia, in this screengrab obtained from a social media video on October 8, 2026. SOCIAL MEDIA/via REUTERS.
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Russia Says It Has Captured Four Settlements in Ukraine

FILE PHOTO: Smoke billows from Yandex's Sasovo hub, one of the company's five large data centers, after a fire following a drone strike forced the suspension of operations at the site, which hosts tens of thousands of servers, Sasovo, Russia, in this screengrab obtained from a social media video on October 8, 2026. SOCIAL MEDIA/via REUTERS.
FILE PHOTO: Smoke billows from Yandex's Sasovo hub, one of the company's five large data centers, after a fire following a drone strike forced the suspension of operations at the site, which hosts tens of thousands of servers, Sasovo, Russia, in this screengrab obtained from a social media video on October 8, 2026. SOCIAL MEDIA/via REUTERS.

The Russian defense ministry said on Sunday ‌that ‌Russian troops ‌had ⁠captured the villages of Kupyne ⁠and Riznykove in ⁠Ukraine's ‌Kharkiv region, ‌as well ‌as Novotroitske ‌and Davydovske in the ‌Donetsk region, news ⁠agency Interfax reported.

Reuters ⁠could not immediately verify the battlefield reports.


109 Migrants Dead, 116 Missing after Boat Capsizes off Djibouti, Says UN

Migrants give signals to NGO Proactiva Open Arms Uno rescue boat in central Mediterranean Sea, August 17, 2022. (Reuters)
Migrants give signals to NGO Proactiva Open Arms Uno rescue boat in central Mediterranean Sea, August 17, 2022. (Reuters)
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109 Migrants Dead, 116 Missing after Boat Capsizes off Djibouti, Says UN

Migrants give signals to NGO Proactiva Open Arms Uno rescue boat in central Mediterranean Sea, August 17, 2022. (Reuters)
Migrants give signals to NGO Proactiva Open Arms Uno rescue boat in central Mediterranean Sea, August 17, 2022. (Reuters)

At least 109 migrants were killed, including 15 children, and some 116 were missing after a boat sank off the shores of Djibouti overnight on October 8-9, a UN agency said Sunday.

Survivors said the vessel -- which was carrying 350 people from Djibouti to Yemen -- capsized north of the Djibouti town of Obock, according to a statement from the International Organization for Migration (IOM), whose teams are on the ground alongside local authorities to provide emergency aid.