Official: Russian troops hit Avdiivka, killing civilian

Russian forces struck an apartment building in Donetsk Oblast's Avdiivka on May 5, killing a woman, the city's military administration head Vitalii Barabash told Suspilne news outlet.

"A family of three lived on the second floor of the apartment building. After the hit, the woman flew out of the apartment window and died, while her husband and mother were buried under the rubble," Barabash said.

The condition of the two people under the rubble is unknown, Suspilne wrote.

According to the local official, the Russian military shelled Avdiivka more than 20 times on May 5. There are 1,776 residents reportedly left in the city, including a child, who is still being sought by authorities for evacuation.

Avdiivka has been a front-line city since 2014, when Russia occupied the regional capital Donetsk. The industrial city, with a pre-war population of 32,000 people, is largely ruined.

During the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Avdiivka has been one of Russia's primary goals as a key defense node in Donetsk Oblast, half of which is currently occupied.

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