The Russian military said it had shot down three Ukrainian missiles fired at the Russian border town of Belgorod at dawn today, where a local official had previously reported at least three people killed in explosions, AFP reported.

"Russian air defenses shot down three Tochka-U missiles with cluster munitions fired by Ukrainian nationalists against Belgorod. After the destruction of the Ukrainian missiles, fragments of one of them fell on a house," said the spokesman of the Russian Ministry of Defense Igor Konashenkov.

Killed and injured in the Russian city of Belgorod after a probable missile launch

Russian Senator Andrey Klishas accused Ukraine of shelling Belgorod and called for a firm response, Reuters reported.

"The deaths of civilians and the destruction of civilian infrastructure in Belgorod are a direct act of aggression by Ukraine and require a 'crushing military response.'" Moscow has repeatedly blamed Kyiv for attacks on Belgorod and other border areas.

Ukraine has not claimed responsibility for the strikes, but said what happened was a price Russia was paying for its actions and its "karma", Reuters reported.

So far, there is no comment from the Ukrainian side, Reuters notes and adds that it is unable to confirm the Russian information from independent sources.

The General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces said, however, that the Ukrainian Air Force had flown about 15 sorties "virtually in all directions where hostilities are taking place."

About 20 "units of enemy equipment" and two ammunition depots were destroyed.