Amid escalating tensions between Russia and Ukraine, Russian officials have evacuated around 300 people from the border city of Belgorod due to Ukrainian shelling, making it the largest evacuation from a major Russian city since the conflict began. The move comes in response to a wave of deadly strikes from Kyiv's forces on Belgorod, which lies less than 20 miles from the Ukrainian border. The ongoing conflict has resulted in at least four people being killed and dozens more injured in a fresh wave of Russian strikes across Ukraine, according to regional officials.

The air force reported that 59 projectiles were fired at Ukraine, including drones and missiles, with Moscow targeting civilian infrastructure in these attacks. This has prompted a plea from Kyiv for additional Western support, as they warned last week that they only had enough ammunition to withstand a few more powerful attacks. In response to the attacks, Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa paid a surprise visit to Kyiv, announcing new deliveries of defense equipment to Ukraine and pledged to host a conference in February to promote the country's economic reconstruction.

Kamikawa strongly condemned Russia's missile and drone attacks, vowing to allocate $37 million for a drone detection system to support Ukraine. Meanwhile, Ukrainian cities continue to be destroyed by Russian missiles and drones, prompting Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba to stress the urgency of the need for air defense systems to protect the country from further attacks. As the conflict escalates, it becomes increasingly clear that both Russia and Ukraine are actively seeking support from foreign allies to maintain their military efforts.