At least 7 people were killed by Russian rocket attacks

At least seven people were killed when several rockets hit the city of Zaporizhzhia in southern Ukraine on Thursday, according to a Ukrainian official.

Oleksandr Starukh, head of the Zaporizhzhia regional military administration, shared the update in a Telegram post.

Starukh warned that the death toll could rise, as five people are still missing.

He also said that at least 21 people have been rescued and that crews are still working to find others.

Ukrainian officials accused Russia of deliberately targeting civilians.

Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said at least seven Russian missiles “hit people sleeping peacefully in their homes”.

Zaporizhzhia is a large city in southern Ukraine, not far from the front lines, and the site of a nuclear power plant that the international community is watching carefully.

Part of the wider region is occupied by Russian forces. Russian President Vladimir Putin signed measures this week to annex four regions of Ukraine, including Zaporizhzhia, in violation of international law.