A maternity and children's hospital has been hit by Russian air strikes, Ukrainian authorities said.

Video from March 9 shows the medical complex and its vicinity demolished by the bombardment. The blasts had blown windows out, destroyed a building's facade, and scorched nearby trees and cars. First responders were seen assisting people out of the area.

The Mariupol City Council said: 'The Russian occupying forces have dropped several bombs on the children's hospital. The destruction is colossal.'

The number of casualties or injuries is still unclear, it added.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the attack and reiterated his call to close the air space above the war-torn country. He said: 'People, children are under the wreckage. Atrocity! How much longer will the world be an accomplice ignoring terror? Close the sky right now! Stop the killings!'

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a ‘special military operation’ in Ukraine’s Donbas region late February. He said in a public address on February 24: ‘We decided to launch a special military action aimed at demilitarisation and denazification of Ukraine.’

The Office of the United Nations (UN) High Commissioner for Human Rights said it had tallied at least 1,335 civilian casualties in Ukraine since the beginning of the invasion, while data from the UN Refugee Agency said more than 2 million refugees have fled Ukraine.