UPDATE 2-Russia says it launched missile strikes against Ukraine on Saturday

The Russian defence ministry did not mention Dnipro as a specific target of any strikes. In its statement Russia said: "All assigned objects were hit. The targets of the strike have been achieved." Russia also said its troops had made progress towards the city of Bakhmut in Ukraine's Donetsk region, which has been the focus of Russian attacks for months.

Russia's defence ministry said on Sunday its forces had launched a wave of missile strikes against Ukrainian military and infrastructure sites on Saturday.

At least 21 people were killed in a strike on a Ukrainian apartment complex in the eastern city of Dnipro in a Russian strike Saturday evening, Ukrainian authorities say. The Russian defence ministry did not mention Dnipro as a specific target of any strikes.

In its statement Russia said: "All assigned objects were hit. The targets of the strike have been achieved." Russia also said its troops had made progress towards the city of Bakhmut in Ukraine's Donetsk region, which has been the focus of Russian attacks for months. It said its troops had advanced towards the northern outskirts of the city.

Russia reported its first major territorial gain in months last week, when it said its troops captured the town of Soledar, just a few kilometres north of Bakhmut, after months of brutal fighting for the small town. Saturday's strikes on Dnipro came just days after Russia announced the latest shake-up to its military command and suggests Russia will continue with its strategy of attempting to target Ukraine's energy and infrastructure networks under the oversight of Valery Gerasimov, Russia's Chief of the General Staff who was put in day-to-day charge of the military campaign.

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