Dozens killed in shelling on market in Russian-occupied Ukraine

At least 25 people have been killed by shelling at a market on the outskirts of the city of Donetsk in Russian-occupied Ukraine, local officials said.

A further 20 people including two children were injured in the strike yesterday morning in the suburb of Tekstilshchik, they said.

One local official said the shells had been fired by the Ukrainian military. Kyiv has not commented and the claims could not be independently verified.

Also yesterday, a fire broke out at a chemical transport terminal at Russia's Ustluga port following two explosions, regional officials said. Local media reported the port had been attacked by Ukrainian drones, causing a gas tank to explode.

The blaze (pictured) was at a site run by Russia's secondlargest natural gas producer, Novatek, 100 miles south-west of St Petersburg. The company said the fire was the result of an “external influence”. It also said it had paused operations at the port.

Yuriy Zapalatskiy, the head of Russia's Kingisepp district where the port is based, said in a statement there were no casualties, but the district was on high alert.

News outlet Fontanka reported two drones had been detected flying towards St Petersburg yesterday morning, but they were redirected towards the Kingisepp area.

The Russian Ministry of Defence did not report any drone activity in the Kingisepp area in its daily briefing. It said four Ukrainian drones had been downed in Russia’s Smolensk region, and two more had been shot down in the Oryol and Tula regions.

Russian officials previously confirmed a Ukrainian drone had been downed on the outskirts of St Petersburg on Thursday.

UK Defence Secretary Grant Shapps yesterday said Europe needs to “step up” and provide more funding for Ukraine.

The Cabinet minister told the BBC’S Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg: “Britain has, again, led the way with a £2.5 billion package and a security agreement, a cooperation agreement with President Zelensky and Ukraine.

"Now ... not just America, but Europe needs to step up and do their part to make sure that Ukraine can continue to defend herself."