Russia 'shoots down own aircraft' in friendly fire, claims Ukraine military

Russia shot down one of its own aircraft in a friendly-fire incident, according to the Ukrainian military.

Russian troops continued to bombard Ukrainian cities overnight, with explosions heard from Kyiv and fighting underway in the streets of the country’s second largest city, Kharkiv.

The capital remains in Ukrainian hands and the military claims it has managed to capture several Russian tanks near Chernhiv, which is 150 kilometres north-east of Kyiv.

“In the water zone of the Black Sea the ship of the Russian Black Sea Fleet using ‘friendly fire’ destroyed its own military aircraft,” the Ukrainian military said in a statement.

“The soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine captured several Russian tanks near Chernhiv. Now they will serve for the welfare of Ukraine.”

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The statement adds that locals are helping the military with Molotov cocktails, which have been used against Russian tanks, and by draining fuel from petrol stations and destroying railway bridges.

Ukraine's health minister reported on Saturday that 198 people, including three children, had been killed and more than 1,000 others.

It was unclear whether those figures included both military and civilian casualties.

Where has been targeted overnight?

The United Nations says it has confirmed at least 240 civilian casualties, including at least 64 people killed.

Russian Defence Ministry spokesperson Igor Konashenkov, meanwhile, said on Sunday that the Russian Armed Forces had taken 975 Ukrainian military infrastructure targets.

Russia’s Defence Ministry on Sunday morning claimed more than 470 Ukrainian troops had surrendered near Kharkiv – though this has not been verified.