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At least six people have been killed and more than 30 are feared trapped after Russian rockets hit a five-storey apartment block in Ukraine’s Donetsk region, collapsing the building, the region’s governor said on Sunday. Follow the day’s events on our liveblog. All times are Paris time, GMT+2.
8:45am: Russian forces press on with Donbas offensive
Ukrainian officials have reported clashes on fronts in the east and south as Russian forces press deeper into the Donbas.
Moscow’s troops attacked Ukrainian positions near the eastern town of Sloviansk but were forced to withdraw, Ukraine’s military said, adding that Russian forces had launched a cruise missile attack on the northeastern city of Kharkiv from their side of the border.
Luhansk region Governor Serhiy Gaidai said Russian forces were gathering in the area of the village of Bilohorivka, about 50 km (30 miles) east of Sloviansk, in Donetsk province.
“The enemy is … shelling the surrounding settlements, carrying out air strikes, but it is still unable to quickly occupy the entire Luhansk region,” he said on the Telegram message channel.
“During the last night alone, the Russians launched seven artillery barrages and four rocket strikes,” Gaidai added.
Watch FRANCE 24’s special report on the battle for Ukraine’s Donbas
7:55am: Dozens feared trapped after rockets hit apartment block
At least six people have been killed and more than 30 are feared trapped after Russian Uragan rockets hit a five-storey apartment block in Ukraine‘s Donetsk region, collapsing the building, the region’s governor has said.
Governor Pavlo Kyrylenko said on Telegram that the strike took place on Saturday evening in the town of Chasiv Yar. He said six people had been confirmed killed and five wounded, and that according to information from residents, at least 34 people were likely trapped in the ruins.
3:54am: Ukrainian company makes prosthetics for wounded soldiers
A report by FRANCE 24’s Gulliver Cragg about a Ukrainian company that makes prosthetics for wounded soldiers.
1:37am: Zelensky fires Ukraine’s envoy to Germany and several other top ambassadors
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky dismissed Kyiv’s ambassador to Germany on Saturday as well as several other top foreign envoys, the presidential website said.
In a decree that gave no explanation for the move, he announced that Ukraine’s ambassadors to Germany, India, Czech Republic, Norway and Hungary had been sacked.
It was not immediately clear whether the envoys would be given new jobs.
(FRANCE 24 with Reuters, AFP, AP)
