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According to authorities in Mariupol, a beleaguered Ukrainian port city, the Russian military destroyed an art school where some 400 people had taken refuge.
The school building was destroyed, according to local authorities, and people could be trapped beneath the rubble.
There was no information on casualties right away.
Also read | Thousands of Mariupol residents forced to relocate to Russia, claims city council
In Mariupol, Russian forces also bombarded a theatre where residents were sheltering.
Authorities say 130 people have been rescued, but many more could be trapped beneath the rubble.
Mariupol, a vital port on the Azov Sea, has been encircled by Russian soldiers, shut off from energy, food, and water supplies, and subjected to a barrage of artillery fire.
The siege of Mariupol, according to Ukraine's president, will go down in history as a case of Russian war crimes.
(With inputs from agencies)