UPDATE - Russian airstrikes kill 8 civilians in Ukraine's Kharkiv: Official

UPDATES WITH FIRE IN CHERNIHIV

By Ruslan Rehimov

KHARKIV, Ukraine (AA) - At least eight civilians, including two children, were killed in Russian airstrikes in Ukraine's northeastern Kharkiv province, an official said on Thursday.

Russian bombardment caused massive destruction in the city of Izyum, according to Volodymyr Matsokin, the city's deputy mayor.

Meanwhile, Ukraine's State Emergency Service reported a fuel tank fire caused by Russian shelling in the city of Chernihiv, roughly 125 kilometers (78 miles) north of the capital Kyiv.

Efforts continue to douse the flames that broke out in a warehouse containing 5,000 cubic meters of diesel fuel, it said in a statement.

Over 2,000 civilians have been killed in Ukraine since Russia launched its attacks on Feb. 24, according to Ukrainian authorities.

As the war entered its eighth day on Thursday, the UN Refugee Agency said some 1 million have been forced to flee from Ukraine to neighboring countries.