Russia presses on in east Ukraine, hits energy infrastructure

Blasts in several areas, including capital Kyiv, Odesa in south, and Dnipro in centre

Russia launched more missile strikes on Ukraine's energy infrastructure on Thursday, and its forces pressed attacks in the eastern Donetsk region, reinforced by troops pulled from Kherson city in the south which Kyiv recaptured last week.

Explosions were heard again on Thursday morning in several parts of Ukraine, including the southern port of Odesa, the capital Kyiv and the central city of Dnipro, and civilians were urged to take shelter as air raid warnings were issued.

Local officials said two people were killed in a missile attack overnight on the south-eastern region of Zaporizhzhia, three were wounded in an attack on the northeastern city of Kharkiv, and three others were hurt in Odesa.

"Missiles are flying over Kyiv right now," Interfax-Ukraine news agency quoted Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal as saying at a conference.

"Now they are bombing our gas production, they are bombing our enterprises in Dnipro and Yuzhmash (missile factory)."

As the missiles barrage took place, fighting was heavy in the eastern Donetsk region, including the towns of Pavlivka, Vuhledar, Maryinka and Bakhmut, Ukrainian presidential adviser Oleksiy Arestovych said in an online video.

Ukrainian forces repelled attacks on the Donetsk towns of Avdiivka and Bilohorivka, Ukrainian military analyst Oleh Zhdanov said in comments posted on YouTube.