KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Shelling killed at least 18 people Sunday in a market on the outskirts of the city of Donetsk in Russian-occupied Ukraine, local officials said Sunday.
Another 13 people were injured in the strike in the suburb of Tekstilshchik, said the city's Russian-installed mayor, Alexei Kulemchin. He said the bombs were fired by the Ukrainian military.
Kyiv had no comment on the event and The Associated Press could not independently verify the claims.
Emergency services continue to work at the scene, said Denis Pushilin, head of the Russian establishment authorities in Donetsk.
On Sunday, a fire followed two explosions at a chemical transport terminal in Russia's Ust-Luka port, regional officials said. Local media reported that the port had been hit by Ukrainian drones, causing a gas tank to explode.
The fire broke out at a site operated by Novatek, Russia's second-largest natural gas producer, 165 kilometers southwest of St. Petersburg.
In a press release to Russian media outlet RBC, the company said the fire was the result of “external influence”. It also said it has suspended operations at the port.
Yury Zapalatsky, head of Russia's Kingshep region, where the port is located, said in a statement that there were no casualties, but the district was put on high alert.
Fontanka news agency reported that two drones were detected flying towards St Petersburg on Sunday morning, but were diverted to the Kingisep region. The Associated Press could not independently verify the reports.
The Russian Defense Ministry did not report any drone activity in the Kingshep area at its daily briefing. It said four Ukrainian drones were shot down in the Smolensk region of Russia, and two more were shot down in the Oryol and Tula regions.
Russian officials earlier confirmed that a Ukrainian drone was shot down on the outskirts of St. Petersburg on Thursday.
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