“I think the chances of saving people now are minimal. As of 11am, 21 people are dead, but 40 are missing,” said Borys Filatov.

“May God help us find several of them. I think the number of dead will be in the dozens.”

The Dnipro City Council reported after Filatov made his comments that the death toll had risen to 23, while 43 people had been reported missing.

The building was hit during a wave of Russian strikes on Ukraine on Saturday, the latest of missile attacks in recent months on critical infrastructure that have plunged the country into darkness and killed civilians.

As Filatov spoke, rescue workers were digging through smashed concrete and twisted metal from a portion of the building. He said 72 apartments had been destroyed.

Filatov said he believed the missile, which he described as an “absolutely inaccurate” X-22, was likely aimed at a power station nearby.

“But the missile flew by and hit a residential building,” he said.