Russian missile strike in Ukraine's Kramatorsk kills 3

 The conflict between Moscow and Kyiv continues to escalate as in the latest incident, a Russian missile strike in eastern Ukraine's city of Kramatorsk killed 3 people, CNN reported citing Police officials.

A rescue operation is underway, with at least 100 police officers from the Donetsk region police working to rescue people trapped under the debris.

The attack occurred on Wednesday at about 9:45 pm (local time). A search and rescue mission is now underway. People are being evacuated to a nearby school for safety, according to CNN.

Condemning the strike that killed at least 3 people, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed condolences to the families and friends of the victims.

"This is not a repetition of history; this is the daily reality of our country," he said on his official Telegram channel.

"Russian troops targeted the residential area of the city with an 'Iskander-K' missile. At least 8 apartment buildings were damaged, one of them was completely destroyed. Preliminarily, it is known about 3 dead civilians and 20 wounded. People may remain under the rubble," CNN reported citing the police, that informed of the strike on Telegram.

The missile strikes have become a regular affair for Ukraine as the ongoing war has resulted in widespread destruction. The previous week, at least 11 people died in the Russian missile strike that hit Ukraine, CNN reported citing the Ukrainian State Emergency Services. The strike also left 11 people injured.

The attack came after US and Germany agreed to provide battle tanks to Ukraine amid the ongoing conflict. 35 buildings were damaged in the missile strikes and two fires broke out.

The missiles caused damage in 11 regions throughout Ukraine, Khorunzhyi said, according to CNN. "Most of the damages to the housing are in the Kyiv region," he added.

"We have connected 88 power generators in order to supply electricity to social facilities such as hospitals, etc."

Since October, Moscow has been bombarding Ukraine's energy infrastructure with missiles and drones, causing widespread blackouts and disruptions to central heating and running water.