Russia says it's stepping up operations as more rockets hit Ukraine

KYIV: Russia has ordered its forces in Ukraine to step up operations, its defence ministry said on Saturday, as rockets and missiles pounded the country in the latest of a series of bombardments that Kyiv says have killed dozens of people in recent days.

In the latest strikes, missiles hit the northeastern town of Chuhuiv in Kharkiv region, killing three people including a 70-year-old woman and wounding three, regional governor Oleh Synehubov said.

To the south, regional governor Valentyn Reznichenko said more than 50 Russian Grad rockets fell on the city of Nikopol, on the Dnipro River. Two people were killed, emergency services said.

Ukraine says around 40 people have been killed in such attacks on urban areas in the last three days.

Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu has ordered military units to step up their operations to prevent strikes on eastern Ukraine and other territories controlled by Russia, the ministry said in a statement on its website.

It said Shoigu "gave the necessary instructions to further increase the actions of groups in all operational areas in order to exclude the possibility of the Kyiv regime launching massive rocket and artillery strikes on civilian infrastructure and residents of settlements in Donbas and other regions".

The ministry said Shoigu had issued his order after listening to reports from generals at a command centre.

At the same meeting, Shoigu presented two Russian commanders in Ukraine with "Golden Star" Hero of the Russian Federation medals for heroism.

It was not clear from the statement, or the silent footage provided, exactly when the meeting took place or whether Shoigu and the commanders were in Ukraine at the time.

Ukrainian rocket strikes using Western-supplied systems have destroyed more than 30 Russian military logistics centres in recent weeks and significantly reduced Russia's attacking potential, Ukraine said on Friday.