British journalist among 17 wounded in ‘deliberate’ missile attack on hotel in Ukraine after Russia vowed revenge

A BRITISH journalist has been wounded in a missile strike on a hotel in Ukraine.

A total of 17 people were injured when a five-star hotel in the centre of Kharkiv was "deliberately" hit by Putin’s missiles.

It’s thought a number of foreign reporters were staying there as they covered the war.

The strike comes after Russia vowed to ‘punish’ Ukraine after a huge attack with 70 drones and missiles.

The missile attack on the Kharkiv Palace Hotel was just one of at least six rockets launched at the city, Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov said.

Among those injured are two boys aged 14 and 16.

The attack damaged several multi-story residential buildings, a shop, and public spaces, Kharkiv Oblast Governor Oleh Syniehubov said.

It's believed that the residential buildings were hit by Iranian-made drones.

“Solely civilian infrastructure was attacked,” Syniehubov said.

The Ukrainian Air Force had previously issued warnings about potential ballistic weapon threats in various regions, including Kharkiv. 

Just hours earlier, it's believed more than 70 drones were used for attacks in Moscow, Belgorod, Tula, Tver, and Bryansk in a massive strike - a day after an 18-hour aerial barrage across Ukraine killed at least 39 civilians.

Russia's emergency ministry said 14 people including two children were killed and more than 100 injured in Belgorod.

Russia's ministry of defence put out a statement vowing to retaliate and punish Ukraine for the overnight shelling.

Ukraine has not yet commented directly on the situation in Belgorod, but Ukrainian media - citing intelligence sources - say only military targets have been attacked.

It has also claimed civilians were killed by faulty Russian missile defences rather than Ukrainian missiles.

A Ukrainian media report, citing a security source, said Kyiv fired at military targets in Russia's Belgorod region, but "due to unprofessional actions by Russian air defence", fragments of munitions fell in the city centre.

It comes after a hacked document revealed how Putin was humiliated after losing 74 sailors when Ukraine blitzed warship Novocherkassk in a Storm Shadow missile strike.

The embarrassing death toll is far higher than Russia’s claim of one dead, a civilian port worker, and six wounded.