Russian rockets kill 15 in Chasiv Yar housing block, Ukraine says

At least 15 people have been killed and about 20 more are feared buried under rubble after Russian rockets struck an apartment block in Chasiv Yar, a town in eastern Ukraine, officials say.

Five victims have been brought out alive. The death toll was given by a Ukrainian emergency services official.

One side of the five-storey building was ripped apart, leaving a mountain of rubble. Chasiv Yar is near the city of Kramatorsk, in Donetsk region.

Donetsk is the focus of a Russian push.

The region’s governor Pavlo Kyrylenko said the destruction was caused by Russian Uragan rockets.

A survivor called Lyudmila told Reuters news agency “we ran to the basement, there were three hits, the first somewhere in the kitchen.

“The second, I do not even remember, there was a flash, we ran towards the second entrance and then straight into the basement. We sat there all night until this morning.”

On Saturday the Russian defence ministry reported that its forces had destroyed a hangar storing US M777 howitzers in Chasiv Yar.

The BBC was unable to verify details of the attack at the scene.

Veronika Bakhal of Donetsk emergency services told the BBC at least 20 people were believed to still be under the rubble in Chasiv Yar, including one child.

Ukrainian forces have been reinforcing defences around Kramatorsk and Slovyansk – two cities in Donetsk in the path of Russia’s offensive.

Having captured Luhansk region, the Russians aim to take the rest of Donetsk. Both regions comprise the industrial Donbas, which President Vladimir Putin claims to be part of Russia.