The shelling destroyed a building in the village of Lantrativka and some people were trapped under rubble, Tass said.

Russian-backed officials from Luhank’s representation to the Joint Centre of Control and Coordination said Ukraine fired three US-made Himars rockets at Lantrativka at 4.10am local time on Friday.

The Joint Centre of Control and Coordination is a ceasefire monitoring body set up to help manage the conflict between Russian-backed separatists and Ukrainian forces after 2014.

The head of the “people’s militia” in Luhansk also reported on his Telegram channel that there were civilian casualties as a result of Ukrainian shelling on the town of Svatove Friday morning.

He provided no further details of the attack.

Reuters could also not immediately verify the battlefield reports.