Ukraine’s Defense Ministry says at least 17 people have been killed in Russian missile attacks on the southeastern city of Zaporizhia.
Dozens of people were injured and several residential buildings were destroyed.
The city is controlled by Ukraine but is part of territory Russia says it annexed last month.
Zaporizhzhia has been repeatedly targeted in recent weeks, as Russia retaliated against the urban areas after defeats in Ukraine’s south and northeast.
Parts of the Zaporizhzhia region, including its nuclear power plant – about 52km (30 miles) from the city – have been under Russian control since early in the invasion.
The BBC’s Paul Adams, who was in the city recently, says the buildings hit are not obvious military targets and the attacks appear to be completely indiscriminate.
More than 60 civilians are believed to have been killed in and around Zaporizhzhia in the past nine days.
Ukrainian President Zelensky called the shelling “once again a merciless attack on peaceful people.”
“Absolute bullshit,” he said. “Absolute evil. Savage and terrorist. Whoever carried out the order on behalf of the one who gave it. They will bear the responsibility. Certainly. before the law and before the people.”
Ukraine’s regional governor in Zaporizhzhia, Oleksandr Starukh, said 12 Russian missiles partially destroyed a nine-story building and leveled five other residential buildings.
“There may be more people under the debris. Rescue operations are underway at the scene. Eight people have already been rescued,” he said on Telegram.
Survivors of the attacks have spoken of the moment they were awakened by the explosions.
Katerina Ivanova and her family had to run to the bathroom as their apartment was filled with smoke, he told AFP news agency.
After managing to run down the street to escape the destruction, Ms Ivanova says she was met by a neighbor who “screamed that her husband was dead”.
Another resident, Lyudmila, 38, told Reuters how she rushed to wake her children and move them to safety after the door to her house was “completely destroyed”.
Her 10-year-old son Bohdan described the missile attack as “terrifying” and said he woke up to screams.
