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…

civilians in the city of Belgorod with missiles and rockets, killing at least 18 people and wounding dozens more.

It was an attack, said Moscow, that would “not go unpunished”.

As Russia’s emergency situations ministry issued a statement updating the Belgorod toll, a UN Security Council meeting called by Moscow to discuss the attacks got underway in New York.

The attack came a day after Ukraine said a barrage of Russian missile strikes on several cities killed at least 39 people, wounding dozens more.