Russia to do 'everything' to halt Ukrainian shelling of Belgorod

Russia said that its military would do everything possible to stop the Ukrainian shelling of Belgorod, a border town where hundreds were evacuated

Russia said on January 9 that its military would do everything possible to stop the Ukrainian shelling of Belgorod, a border town where hundreds were evacuated after fatal bombardments.

The vow came as the Defence Ministry said it had downed four Ukrainian drones over western Russia, with debris injuring three at an oil facility in the Oryol region.

Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu meanwhile said Russian forces were dictating the course of fighting on the front line, which has barely shifted in about a year despite fierce fighting.

Belgorod has suffered an uptick in fatal shelling attacks in recent weeks that prompted city officials to recently evacuate hundreds and extend a closure of schools.

"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.

He accused the Ukrainian military of firing on civilian targets in the centre of the urban hub of around 3,40,000 people with weapons supplied by European countries.

The Kremlin has tried to maintain a semblance of normalcy on the home front, but the recent strikes on Belgorod have brought the Ukraine conflict closer to home for many Russians.