Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered stepped-up protection at the border with Ukraine, after several drones targeted areas deep inside the country.

Washington sent HARM missiles to Ukraine in mid-August. The projectiles are reportedly used by Ukraine’s MiG-29 and Su-27 aircraft.

The Russian military says its troops have hit Ukrainian forces in the Kharkiv region.

The Kremlin says Ukraine carried out the missile attack on Belgorod, home to nearly 400,000 people.

Russia says its troops have taken full control of Lysychansk as the push to drive Ukrainian forces out of the eastern Donbas region goes into high gear. 

Ukrainian forces have staged fresh attacks on targets inside the Russian territory even as the UN-backed evacuation of civilians from the besieged southern Ukrainian city of Mariupol gets underway.

The Kremlin spokesman has encouraged dialogue with the West “sooner or later.”