Russian missile kills six, injures 20 in Ukraine

A Russian missile attack on Ukraine's southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia killed six people, injured at least 20 more and destroyed a critical infrastructure facility, Ukrainian officials said.

Ivan Fedorov, the regional governor, said in a statement on the Telegram messaging app that a fire broke out as a result of the strike. Authorities did not say what the facility was.

Before the attack, Mr Fedorov and Ukraine's Air Force announced a ballistic missile alert for the region.

The industrial city, which had an estimated pre-war population of more than 700,000 people, lies around 35 kilometres from the nearest Russian positions.

The city is an important logistical and industrial hub.

Zaporizhzhia has come under increasing Russian aerial bombardments in recent weeks, and analysts of the Russian invasion have speculated the Kremlin could launch an offensive towards the city this winter.

The Kremlin claimed to have annexed the territory in late 2022 despite not having full military control over the region.

Moscow's troops partially occupy the Zaporizhzhia region, which is also home to Europe's largest nuclear power plant.

The Ukrainian president's chief of staff urged allies to give more support to counter Russian attacks.

"Violence must be stopped by strong actions," Andriy Yermak said on Telegram.