MOSCOW, Feb 17, 2024 (BSS/AFP) - Three people including a girl were killed and four others injured after Ukraine shelled the Russian-occupied region of Donetsk on Saturday, a Moscow-installed local official said.

Both Moscow and Kyiv have accused each other of a sharp escalation in attacks targeting civilian areas over the past three months, amid intense fighting on the frontline.

Ukraine targeted the town of Panteleimonivka, less than 20 kilometres (12 miles) north east of Donetsk city, said Dmitry Shevchenko, proxy head of the local Yasynuvata municipality.

"Three people were killed, including a girl born in 2009, and four people were injured, including a girl born in 2013, as a result of the morning shelling," he said.

The collapsed section of what appeared to be a residential building surrounded by rubble and debris could be seen in photos published on his social media account.

AFP was not able to immediately verify his report.

The reported shelling came hours after Ukrainian troops withdrew from the frontline city of Avdiivka, also in the Donetsk region, amid intense Russian bombardment.

Separately, Russia said it had shot down a barrage of 33 Ukrainian drones flying over its territory, including the border region of Belgorod.