The Ukrainian military administration in the southern province of Zaporizhia said that 3 civilians were killed and 5 others were wounded in Russian missile shelling on the city at dawn today, while Russian forces continue attempts to advance in Bakhmout.
The military administration added that the shelling partially destroyed a residential building, and damaged nearby buildings.
In Pakhmot, Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Anna Maliar said Russian forces were continuing to try to advance towards the city and take full control of it, despite suffering heavy losses.
Maliar added in a statement via the Telegram platform that the situation is still under control, but requires appropriate defensive measures from the Ukrainian side, as she put it.
Maleyar added that the attack of Russian forces continues from 4 directions: Liman, Pakhmut, Avdiivka and Marienka.
Meanwhile, the Ukrainian military department in the Kherson province said that Russian forces have targeted the province more than 70 times in the past hours.
For her part, spokeswoman for the South Ukrainian Operations Command Natalia Humeniuk said that Russia continues to target Kherson with various types of missiles.
In Donetsk, pro-Russian authorities there said two people were killed in Ukrainian shelling on the city of Yasinovata in the province, and local websites reported that the shelling also resulted in injuries.
For its part, the Russian military site Rebar reported that Ukrainian shelling targeted the Russian border province of Belogorod with Ukraine, causing damage to 4 residential buildings in the village of Tishanka, without recording injuries among the residents.
On the other hand, the Ukrainian authorities announced the repatriation of 31 Ukrainian children whom Russia had earlier deported to its territory. Authorities added that these children will arrive in the capital, Kiev, within the coming hours.
The U.N. Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine said there was evidence that hundreds of Ukrainian children had been illegally deported to Russia.
Ukrainian government figures put the number of children forcibly transferred to Russia at more than 16,<>.
For its part, Russia denied the forced deportation of children to its territory, saying that their deportation was for the purpose of protecting them, as it described it.