A church building has been hit in attack as the war in Ukraine intensified over the weekend.
It’s been reported that Ukraine attacked its own city of Melitopol on Saturday evening, which Russians have occupied since March.
The pro-Russian authorities, who are now exiled Ukrainians, said a missile attack killed two people and left ten wounded.
Ivan Fedorov, said on his Telegram channel that the missile damaged a church that Russians had turned into a meeting place.
Vladimir Rogov, a Moscow-installed official in the Russian-controlled part of Zaporizhzhia, said the attack caused a massive fire which engulfed the “recreation centre”.
An adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Melitopol is key to the defence of the south.
Oleksiy Arestovych said in a video interview on social media: “All logistics linking the Russian forces on the eastern part of the Kherson region and all the way to the Russian border near Mariupol is carried out through it.
“If Melitopol falls, the entire defence line all the way to Kherson collapses. Ukrainian forces gain a direct route to Crimea.”
Earlier on Saturday, Ukraine’s Armed Forces said it had been conducting strikes on Melitopol, but has not commenting on the attacks later that evening.