Russian drone and missile strikes on the central Ukrainian city of Dnipro have killed at least five people, according to officials.
Serhii Lysak, the regional governor, posted on Telegram that 53 more persons were injured in the early-morning explosion on Wednesday.
A strike, according to officials, destroyed stores, schools, and hospitals.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the incident and put out a fresh call to Western partners to provide his country with more air defense systems.
Dnipro, a city with a pre-war population of almost a million people, has been a frequent target of Russian airstrikes since the war began more than two years ago. Last year, a Russian missile blasted into a private apartment complex in the city, killing 40 people.
Ukraine’s air force said it shot down six drones and five out of seven missiles that were aimed toward the city early Wednesday.
Among the injured was a 14-year-old girl, Mr Lysak said. Four other people in serious conditions were being treated at hospital, he added.
The head of the regional council, Mykola Lukashuk, condemned what he called an act of “cynical terror” by Russian forces. An official day of mourning has been declared by city officials.
Russia has stepped up its aerial attacks on Ukraine in recent months.
While Moscow denies targeting civilian facilities, the UN’s human rights monitors reported that May was the worst month for civilian casualties in nearly a year.
President Zelensky has issued more urgent requests for new air defense systems at this time, asking his Western partners to reject Russian warnings that such moves could lead to an escalation of tensions.
The town, which has been flattened by endless shelling, is viewed as a potential staging ground for Russian forces as they advance on the remaining Ukrainian-held areas in the Donetsk region.
Kyiv has yet to comment on the claims.
