Russia accuses Ukraine of "terrorist attack" on Belgorod
Ukraine had targeted a sports center, an ice rink and a university in Belgorod, Nebensia continued. He spoke of a "deliberate, indiscriminate attack against a civilian target".
According to the Russian authorities, 21 people were killed in Belgorod, including three children. Among the 111 injured were 17 children. Video footage, the authenticity of which could not initially be verified, showed streets strewn with rubble and clouds of smoke rising from burnt-out cars in the center of Belgorod.
AFP was initially unable to verify the circumstances of the attack - one of the deadliest on Russian soil since the start of Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine in February 2022. It came a day after at least 40 people were killed in Ukraine in one of the worst waves of Russian attacks since the start of the war.
According to Russian sources, Vilkha guided missiles and Czech-made missiles were used in the attack on Belgorod. According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, "most" of the missiles aimed at the city were intercepted. However, several missiles and debris hit Belgorod.
The Ukrainian side did not initially comment on the allegations.
Russian President Vladimir Putin had been "informed about the attack by the Ukrainian armed forces on residential areas in Belgorod", Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told the Tass news agency.
The Russian Foreign Ministry, which has repeatedly criticized Western arms supplies to Ukraine, accused the USA and Great Britain of "inciting the regime in Kiev to commit terrorist acts".
The Russian city of Belgorod is located around 30 kilometers from the Ukrainian border. A child was also killed by Ukrainian shelling in the border region of Bryansk, as the local governor Alexander Bogomas reported online.
Both Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi were due to give New Year's speeches on Sunday.
Selensky wrote in online services on Saturday that the wave of attacks on Friday was a "terrorist attack" on his country. According to the city administration, 17 people died in the attacks in the capital Kiev alone. Bodies were still being recovered from the rubble on Saturday. Mayor Vitali Klitschko declared January 1 a day of mourning.
According to Ukrainian reports, schools, a maternity clinic, shopping centers and residential buildings were hit on Friday in one of the heaviest waves of Russian attacks on Ukraine since the start of the war. In its daily situation report, the Russian army stated that it had carried out "50 group attacks and one massive attack" between December 23 and 29. "All targets" had been hit.
According to the Ukrainian General Staff, Russia deployed 158 drones and missiles. 144 of these were destroyed. This was a "record number" of missiles, said air force spokesman Yuri Ignat. Apart from the first days of the war in February 2022, these were the "most massive attacks" on Ukraine to date.
According to the authorities, three people were killed in Russian attacks on Ukraine on Saturday in the Kherson, Zaporizhia and Chernihiv regions. In Kharkiv in the north-east, 26 people were injured in an attack, according to the public prosecutor's office. Among the injured was a British man who was working as a security adviser to a group of German journalists. According to reports, a hotel, a kindergarten, stores and restaurants were among those hit.
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- The UN Secretary-General strongly condemned the "terrorist attack" in Belgorod, calling for an immediate de-escalation of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
- Volodymyr Selensky, the President of Ukraine, denied Russia's allegations and accused Moscow of using the UN Security Council as a platform to spread false information about the situation in Belgorod.
- Before the UN Security Council meeting, Vladimir Putin's spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, stated that Ukraine had deliberately targeted civilians in Belgorod and accused the West of supporting these actions.
- Wassili Nebensia, Russia's representative to the UN, presented video evidence of the attack in Belgorod, which showed damaged buildings and injured children, as part of his appeal to the international community to take action against Ukraine.
- The United Nations Security Council urged both Russia and Ukraine to comply with international humanitarian law and ensure the safety of civilians, particularly children, affected by the conflict.
- In Kiev, Ukrainian officials claimed that Russia had used prohibited weapons in the attack on Belgorod, while Moscow insisted that it had acted in self-defense and would continue to protect its borders against "terrorist threats."
- The US and the UK, frequent critics of Russia's actions in Ukraine, reiterated their commitment to supporting Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity, but called for all parties involved to prioritize peace and dialogue over militaristic actions.
- On the sidelines of the UN meeting, representatives of various countries expressed their concern about the escalating conflict between Russia and Ukraine, with some calling for a return to the negotiating table to seek a peaceful resolution to the conflict.
Source: www.stern.de
