CHANGES HEADLINE, SPOT AND LEDE, UPDATES WITH NEW INFORMATION ON CONSEQUENCES OF MISSILE ATTACK
By Burc Eruygur
ISTANBUL (AA) - At least seven people were killed and 81 injured in an overnight missile strike by Russian forces on a city in Ukraine's eastern region of Donetsk, the Ukrainian Interior Ministry said on Tuesday.
"So far, it is known about seven dead and 81 wounded people as a result of the Russian attack. Among the victims are children aged 10 to 16," the ministry said in a statement on Telegram.
It added that the missile attack on Pokrovsk city damaged 12 high-rise buildings, two catering establishments, two shops, an administrative building, a pharmacy, a hotel, as well as official and civilian cars, indicating that relevant services are still operational on the site.
Earlier on Tuesday, Ukrainian Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said on Telegram that the strike killed seven people and injured 67 others, including 29 police officers, seven rescuers, and two children.
Authorities had to halt demolition work in the area due to the high threat of repeated shelling, but were later able to continue, Klymenko added.
The ministry later said in a statement on Telegram that according to preliminary information, fires covering a total area of 75 square meters (807 square feet) at a residential building and hotel have been put out, and that there are no people under the rubble.
"Emergency and rescue work is being carried out in a five-story residential building," the statement also said.
Separately, Donetsk Governor Pavlo Kyrylenko claimed on Telegram that the strikes on Pokrovsk city were conducted with Iskander missiles, saying that the attack damaged private homes, high-rise buildings, a hotel, and an administrative building.
In an earlier statement late Monday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said rescuers and all necessary services are on the scene of the attacks.
"We have to stop the Russian terror. Everyone who fights for the freedom of Ukraine saves lives. Everyone in the world who helps Ukraine will defeat the terrorists together with us. Russia will be held accountable for everything it has done in this terrible war," Zelenskyy said.
Russian authorities have not yet commented on the attack, and independent verification of Ukraine's claim is difficult due to the ongoing war.
The ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, which started in February 2022, has killed over 9,300 civilians and wounded more than 16,600, according to the latest UN figures.