Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky said the attack damaged multiple storeys of a residential building and a train station in the regional capital, Dnipro, as he called for additional air defences.

“Russia must be held accountable for its terror, and every missile, every Shahed (drone) must be shot down,” Zelensky said. “The world can guarantee this, and our partners have the necessary capabilities.”

Interior minister Ihor Klymenko said at least eight people died in the attack, two in Dnipro, and six in the Synelnykivskyi district of the region, where more than a dozen homes were damaged.

The region’s governor Serhiy Lysak said air defences shot down 11 out of 16 missiles and nine out of 10 drones that attacked the region on Ukrainian TV broadcast.

State-run Ukrainian railways company Ukrzaliznytsia said Russia deliberately targeted its infrastructure in this attack, injuring its workers. The company closed its station in Dnipro and rerouted trains set to pass through the city.

Russia denies targeting civilians, saying its airstrikes are aimed at Ukraine’s “demilitarisation”.

Ukraine’s air force said it shot down 15 missiles, including two Kh-22 cruise missiles, and 14 drones during the attack on the country today.