NATO to hold new Ukraine Council meeting on Jan. 10

NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg will convene a meeting between NATO diplomats and officials from Ukraine on Jan. 10, following a recent wave of heavy Russian air strikes on the country, the transatlantic defence alliance said on Thursday.

The meeting, taking the format of the newly establish NATO-Ukraine Council, was being convened at Kyiv's request following missile and drone attacks on Ukrainian civilians, cities and towns, a NATO spokesperson said.

Russia has intensified attacks over the New Year period, with President Vladimir Putin warning that a Ukrainian air strike on the Russian city of Belgorod, which Moscow said killed 25 civilians, would "not go unpunished".