Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the strike occurred between two dwellings. Photo: AFP / Handout / Ukrainian Presidential Press Service
By James FitzGerald
Twenty people have been injured - and it is feared that others are trapped - after an alleged Russian strike in Ukraine's central city of Dnipro.
Video shared by President Volodymyr Zelensky showed rescuers searching the remains of a two-storey building.
According to Reuters, writing on Telgram, Zelensky said the strike occurred between two dwellings.
"Unfortunately, there are people under the rubble," Zelensky wrote.
"Once again, Russia proves it is a terrorist state."
‼️An explosion rang out in #Dnipro
— KyivPost (@KyivPost) June 3, 2023
As a result, a 2-storey residential building was damaged. There are people under the rubble. According to preliminary reports, there are six injured. Among them is a 6-year-old boy, the head of the #Dnipropetrovsk RMA, Serhiy Lysak, said. pic.twitter.com/CRfxSEF6Yz
Another official said five of the victims were children and that a man had been pulled from the rubble.
Explosions were also reported in other parts of Ukraine on Saturday. Russia has not commented on the latest events.
However, it has previously denied targeting civilians during its invasion of the neighbouring country.
Fires broke out following the alleged strike in a northern district of Dnipro, according to the regional governor.
Serhiy Lysak added that five children were among the victims - with the condition of three boys assessed as being serious.
Seventeen of the 20 people hurt in the incident were taken to hospital, he said.
Explosions were reported in other parts of the country on Saturday.
Officials in Sumy, in the north, recorded 87 blasts as a result of Russian shelling, speaking of injuries and destruction of infrastructure.
More than a dozen explosions were also reported in the Russian-occupied southern cities of Berdyansk and Melitopol, though details were scant.
In Russia itself, officials said earlier on Saturday that two more people were killed in fresh attacks in the border region of Belgorod.
Local authorities said Ukraine was to blame, although Ukraine itself said the deaths were the result of Russia trying to target fighters who oppose the government in Moscow.
There has been a spate of attacks in the region in recent weeks, notably including a major cross-border incursion late last month which Moscow said ended in the deaths of 70 attackers.
Kyiv denied having any direct involvement, again saying the attack was mounted by Russian paramilitaries.
Also on Saturday, Zelensky said his country was ready to launch its long-promised counter-offensive against occupying Russian soldiers.
He told the Wall Street Journal that Ukraine still wanted certain weapons, but could not wait for months to receive them.
- BBC
