Eleven killed, including five children, in Russian attacks on a town in eastern Ukraine

(CNN) — Eleven people, including five children, were killed in strikes with Russian S-300 missiles in Ukraine’s Donetsk region this Saturday, according to local military authorities.

“Eleven killed, including five children: these are the preliminary results of the attacks in the Pokrovsk district. The Russians attacked the area with S-300 missiles, killing 11 people and wounding eight others. The main attacks took place in Pokrovsk and Rivne Mirnohrad community,” Vadim Fylashkin, head of the military administration of the Donetsk region, said in a post on Telegram.

“The enemy carries out despicable attacks on civilians on our soil, trying to cause as much pain as possible,” he said.

Photos released by officials showed rescue workers searching through the wreckage of one-story homes and at least one damaged car.

Donetsk is on the front lines of the fighting in the east and is partly held by Russian forces.

Ukraine’s State Emergency Service (SES) said search and rescue efforts were continuing at the site of the attacks, which completely destroyed three private houses.

“As a result of the rescue operation, one person was rescued from the debris,” the SES said. “Rescue teams also extinguished a fire in a 100-square-meter residential building. A total of 38 people and 10 pieces of equipment took part in the work,” the statement said.

In his evening speech, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed his condolences to the families who lost loved ones in the attack.

Zelensky said, “Russia must realize – and must always realize – that none of these attacks will remain without consequences for the terrorist state. We must guarantee this with our strength, our defense and political capabilities.”