Russian rockets hit residential buildings in the southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia early Thursday, killing two people and trapping five others, the region's governor said.
The Ukrainian-controlled city is in one of the four regions annexed by Russian President Vladimir Putin — in violation of international law — and lies close to Europe's largest nuclear power plant.
"One woman died and another person died in an ambulance," Ukrainian-appointed regional governor Oleksandr Starukh said in a post on social media.
Starukh said that at least five others remained trapped beneath the rubble.
The attacks came hours after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that three more villages in the region had been retaken.
Putin on Wednesday signed a decree declaring that the nuclear plant would be taken over by Moscow. Russia has occupied the territory around the facility, which is close to the frontlines of its war in Ukraine, since March. But Ukrainian technicians have continued to operate it.
Last week, a convoy of civilian vehicles was shelled in the Zaporizhzhia region leaving dozens dead.
Russia says it is 'fully committed' to avoiding nuclear war
Russia's Foreign Ministry said on Thursday it was "fully committed" to the principle of never allowing a conflict to turn nuclear.
Fears have grown over a possible escalation in Ukraine with President Vladimir Putin recently saying he was "not bluffing" over his willingness to use nuclear weapons to defend Russia's territorial integrity.
