More than a dozen people were killed by Ukrainian strikes on the Russian provincial capital of Belgorod, Russia’s emergencies ministry said Saturday, with the Russian defence ministry vowing the strike “will not go unpunished”.
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Russia called a meeting of the UN Security Council Saturday, accusing Ukraine of having targeted civilians in the city of Belgorod with missiles and rockets, killing at least 14 people and wounding dozens more.
It was an attack, said Moscow, that would “not go unpunished”.
The attack came a day after Ukraine said a barrage of Russian missile strikes on several cities had killed at least 39 people, wounding dozens more.
Belgorod lies about 30 kilometres (19 miles) from the border with Ukraine and has been repeatedly struck by what Moscow says is indiscriminate shelling by Kyiv’s forces.
Unverified footage showed debris strewn across the street and smoke billowing from burnt-out cars in the city’s centre. A large blast can be heard in dashcam footage posted on social media.
AFP was not able to immediately verify the circumstances of the strike, one of the deadliest on Russian soil since Moscow launched hostilities against Ukraine in February 2022.
Two Vilkha missiles and Czech-made rockets were used in the attack, Russia said.
The UN Security Council will convene at 4:00 pm New York time (2100 GMT) Saturday to discuss the strikes on Belgorod, Russia’s mission to the UN announced.
Both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky are due to speak on Sunday, New Year’s Eve, as the conflict approaches its second anniversary in February.
‘Will not go unpunished’
Earlier, Russia’s emergencies ministry said the latest toll was 12 adults and two children killed.
“Another 108 people, including 15 children, were injured,” it added.
The Kremlin said Putin had been briefed on the incident, while the Russian defence ministry warned the strike would “not go unpunished”.
Russia’s foreign ministry, which has repeatedly railed against Western arms deliveries to Ukraine, accused the United States and Britain of “inciting the Kyiv regime to commit terrorist actions”.
Ukrainian officials did not immediately comment.
In Ukraine, the emergency services continued to search through rubble Saturday, a day after Russian strikes killed at least 39 people, one of the fiercest attacks since the early days of the conflict.
Schools, a maternity hospital, shopping arcades and blocks of flats were all among the buildings hit in Friday’s barrage, which triggered international condemnation.
Ukraine’s military estimated Russia had launched 158 missiles and drones on Ukraine and 114 of them had been destroyed.
“Work is still underway to eliminate the consequences of yesterday’s Russian attack,” Zelensky said on Saturday.
January 1 will be declared a day of mourning in the capital Kyiv, where at least 16 people were killed, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said.
Three more people were killed by Russian strikes across Ukraine on Saturday, local officials said.
Russia’s army said it had “carried out 50 group strikes and one massive strike” on military facilities in Ukraine over the past week, adding that “all targets were hit”.
The United Nations condemned the attacks and said they must stop “immediately”.
Missile ‘entered’ Polish airspace
Poland reported that a Russian missile briefly passed through its airspace during Friday’s attacks.
After speaking to Polish President Andrzej Duda, NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said the alliance “stands in solidarity” with Poland, adding: “NATO remains vigilant.”
In the face of sustained Russian assaults, Ukraine is urging Western allies to maintain military support.
Ukraine presidential aide Andriy Yermak said Kyiv needed “more support and strength to stop this terror”.
US President Joe Biden on Friday called on Congress to overcome its division to approve new aid for Ukraine, after Washington released its final package of weaponry under existing agreements still to be renewed.
“Unless Congress takes urgent action in the new year, we will not be able to continue sending the weapons and vital air defence systems Ukraine needs to protect its people,” Biden said.
“Congress must step up and act without any further delay.
Britain announced it would send hundreds more air-defence missiles to Kyiv, after Prime Minister Rishi Sunak declared: “We must continue to stand with Ukraine — for as long as it takes.”
(AFP)
