Civilians killed as Russia pounds eastern Ukrainian region of Donetsk

A Ukrainian serviceman looks at the rubble of a school that was destroyed some days ago during a missile strike in outskirts of Kharkiv (AP)

A Ukrainian official has said Russian shelling has killed five civilians over the past 24 hours and wounded 21 more in the eastern Donetsk province, where Russia has stepped up its offensive in recent days.

Donetsk governor Pavlo Kyrylenko said in a Telegram post on Wednesday morning that two people were killed in Avdiivka, one in Sloviansk, one in Krasnohorivka, and one in Kurakhove.