UPDATE- 8 killed as Russia shells Ukraine's capital Kyiv: Authorities

CHANGED HEADLINE, DECK, UPDATED DEATH TOLL BY PROSECUTOR'S STATEMENT

By David Kachkacisvili

KYIV, Ukraine (AA) – At least eight people were killed as Russian shelling hit a shopping mall in Ukraine’s capital Kyiv, local authorities said on Monday.

Earlier, the State Emergency Service of Ukraine in Kyiv had announced that the Russian attack on the mall killed four and injured one.

The armed forces of the Russian Federation, using the means of warfare forbidden by international law, launched a rocket attack on the Podilskyi district of the capital on Sunday evening, the Prosecutor General’s Office said on Telegram.

According to the preliminary data, the shopping mall was destroyed due to the shelling and fire and at least eight people died, the office added.

The office noted that rescue teams and law enforcement officers are working at the scene.

According to UN estimates, at least 902 civilians have been killed and around 1,459 injured in Ukraine since Russia launched a war on its western neighbor on Feb. 24.

The UN has said the real figures are likely to be much higher as conditions on the ground make verification difficult.

Over 3.38 million refugees have fled from Ukraine since the war began, while some 6.5 million are estimated to be internally displaced in the country, according to the UN.

* Written and contributed by Ahmet Gencturk in Ankara