A Russian missile struck a train station in eastern Ukraine, killing at least 25 people in the deadliest attack since April.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Wednesday that the brutal attack came as Ukraine celebrated its Independence Day and brought home the harsh reality of the six-month-old war.
The lethal attack hit the town of Chaplyne in the central Dnipropetrovsk region.
“Rescuers are working. But, unfortunately, the number of dead may still increase", Mr Zelensky said.
The Vyshgorod region, directly north of Kyiv, also came under fire, but there were no casualties reported, regional official Olexiy Kuleba said on the Telegram channel.
There were concerns that Russia may weaponise the day of celebrations to carry out heavy attacks., with Mr Zelesnky saying there was a risk of "repugnant Russian provocations."
The national holiday commemorates Ukraine's declaration of independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.
Wednesday also marked six months since Russian forces invaded Ukraine, commencing what would become Europe's most devastating conflict since World War Two.
Hours before the strike on the station, a rocket also hit a house in the same area and killed an 11-year-old child, according to the official in the president’s office, Kyrylo Tymoshenko.
The father Sergiy said to Reuters: "We looked for him there in the ruins, and he was lying here. Nobody knew that he was here. Nobody knew."
“Around 3 p.m. in the Dnipropetrovsk region, in the Sinelnykove district, a Russian rocket hit a private house,” Mr. Tymoshenko said in a statement.
Earlier in the day, Mr Zelesnky prerecorded a speech for security reasons, in which he said Ukraine was a nation “reborn” in conflict with a renewed sense of cultural and political identity, now separate from Russia.
Russia denies targeting civilians and says any attacks on rail infrastructure are legitimate targets because they can supply Ukraine with Western weapons.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Twitter : "Russia’s missile strike on a train station full of civilians in Ukraine fits a pattern of atrocities. We will continue, together with partners from around the world, to stand with Ukraine and seek accountability for Russian officials."
