Russia's Defence Ministry said it had targeted a military gathering in the Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih, where at least 18 people, including nine children, were killed in a Russian missile attack. 

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The head of the city's military administration claimed that the missile struck a residential area near a children's playground. More than two dozen others were injured. 

Videos and photos on social media, which were not verified by WION, showed bodies lying on a street. One video showed a plume of smoke rising into the evening sky. 

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Dnipropetrovsk regional governor Sergiy Lysak said on Telegram, "18... that is how many people were killed by the Russians when they launched a missile at Kryvyi Rig. Among them were nine children." 

"This is the kind of pain you wouldn't wish on your worst enemy," Lysak said, further adding that 61 people were injured in the attack, among them 12 children. 

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Lysak also mentioned that one additional person was killed and three others injured in a separate drone attack on Kryvyi Rig, which is the hometown of President Volodymyr Zelensky. This industrial city had a pre-war population of around 600,000 people.

Zelensky denounced the attack, saying that it showed that Russia did not want a ceasefire. 

"There is only one reason why this continues: Russia does not want a ceasefire, and we see it. The whole world sees it," Zelensky posted on Telegram. 

Zelensky called on the West to exert pressure on Moscow. "All Russian promises end with missiles, drones, bombs or artillery. Diplomacy means nothing to them," he said in his nightly video address. 

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What does Russia say? 

Russia's Ministry of Defence said it "delivered a precision strike with a high-explosive missile at a restaurant" in the city "where commanders of formations and Western instructors were meeting". 

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(With inputs from agencies)

Disclaimer: A number of claims and counterclaims are being made on Ukraine-Russia war on the ground and online. While WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report ongoing developments, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos