20 killed in Donetsk, Russia's defence ministry says

Russia's defence ministry says 20 people have been killed and nine wounded in the attack. The claims cannot be verified independently.

Reuters reports that the Kremlin has described the attack as a tragedy and an attack on civilians, adding that "it appears the bosses of Ukraine across the ocean are giving orders to the Ukrainian army", reports BBC.

Ukraine has denied the accusation that it launched the attack.

Donetsk, in the east of Ukraine, is one of the rebel-held separatist areas where fighting against Ukrainian forces has been taking place since 2014. One of Russian President Vladimir Putin's demands to stop the war is the recognition of the independence of the eastern region.