Russian missiles have hit the centre of Kramatorsk in eastern Ukraine, killing four people and injuring many more, Ukrainian officials say.

A restaurant and shopping area were hit in Tuesday's strike on the city, which is under Ukrainian control but close to Russian-occupied parts of Ukraine.

People may be trapped under the rubble and a rescue operation is under way.

An eyewitness told the BBC he saw "dead people, people screaming, people crying, huge chaos".

A 17-year-old girl is reported to be among those who were killed in the attack, which happened at around 19:30 local time (16:30 GMT).

There were also apartment buildings at the epicentre of the explosion, officials said.

Social media and drone footage from the scene show significant damage to the buildings, some of which have been reduced to rubble.

Belgian freelance journalist Arnaud De Decker told BBC Newshour he was at the popular Ria Lounge restaurant just minutes before it was hit.

"There's still people underneath the rubble because it's a big restaurant," he said.

"Now I can hear people screaming underneath the rubble as rescuers are trying to save them."

He estimated up to 80 staff members and customers were on the restaurant premises at the time of the strike, so feared the casualty number could be "severe".

Officials say at least 40 people were injured, including an eight-month-old baby and three foreigners.

A rescue operation is currently under way in the city centre, with security agencies assisting emergency services at the scene and evacuating victims.

Local authorities say the area had a high concentration of civilians when the missiles hit.

"This is the city centre. These were public eating places crowded with civilians," regional governor Pavlo Kyrylenko told Ukrainian television.

Mr De Decker described the restaurant as a local "gathering hub" that was also popular with soldiers, journalists and volunteers.

Russian forces also targeted a nearby village, Kramatorsk city council said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the attack proved to Ukraine and the world that Russia deserved "only defeat and a tribunal, just and lawful courts against all Russian murderers and terrorists".

The White House condemned Russia for its "brutal strikes" on Ukraine.

Kramatorsk has often been targeted by missiles since the start of the invasion in February 2022.

The city of 150,000 people is one of the largest still under Ukrainian control in the besieged east. It lies about 30km (18 miles) from the frontline.

In April of last year more than 60 people died in Kramatorsk following a missile strike on the city's railway station.

It is also exactly a year to the day since a shopping centre in the city of Kremenchuk was hit by Russian shelling, killing at least 18 people.

This latest attack comes as Mr Zelensky said Ukraine's counter-offensive was advancing on all fronts.

Source:
courtesy of BBC NEWS

by Mayeni Jones & James Gregory | in Kyiv and London

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