Rescue efforts continue to find survivors of the early morning missile strikes that hit residential buildings in Zaporizhzhia.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba says seven Russian missiles hit civilians "sleeping peacefully at their homes".

Image source, Reuters

Image source, State Emergency Service of Ukraine

Emergency services in Zaporizhzhia say they have so far retrieved three bodies from the site of the Russian attack that took place overnight.

In a separate Telegram post, Oleksandr Starukh, the governor of the Zaporizhzhia region, said 12 more people were injured and rescuers were still working to free "many" people still trapped under the rubble.

Ukraine says seven missiles hit a residential area in the city in the early hours of this morning.

Referring to Russia, Starukh says that "the terrorist country has shown its beastly face" by killing "peacefully sleeping people".

Image source, Reu

The leaders of more than 40 countries have been arriving in Prague for the first summit of the European Political Community (EPC).

The EPC is the brainchild of French President Emmanuel Macron and is separate to the European Union (EU).

On his arrival, Mr Macron told reporters: "The objective is first of all to share a common reading of the situation affecting our Europe and also to build a common strategy."

The meeting brings together the 27 member states of the EU and 17 other countries, including the UK.

The Ukraine war and energy security in Europe are expected to be high on the agenda.

If you're just joining us, here's a recap of the latest developments:

• Zaporizhzhia strikes: At least one person has been killed after seven missiles struck residential buildings in Ukraine's southern city of Zaporizhzhia, with another seven injured, officials say. The BBC has been reporting from the scene.

• European summit: The leaders of 44 European countries are meeting in Prague for the first meeting of a new political club of nations. Ukraine and energy security are expected to be high on the agenda.

• Ukrainian progress: President Zelensky said in his nightly address that Ukraine had liberated three more villages in the southern region of Kherson. It came after Serhiy Haidai, Ukrainian governor of Luhansk, said six villages in his region, which is in the east, had been recaptured since Tuesday. But Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov says Russia will retake any territory lost to Ukrainian forces.

• Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant: UN nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi is in Ukraine for discussions about the safety of Europe's largest nuclear power plant. Russia says it's taking over the operation of the facility, but Ukraine says it's still in charge.

Image source, .

Steve Rosenberg
BBC Russia editor

Yesterday, we heard a sort of admission from Putin that things weren't going to plan when he said the situation in the "new territories" was "restive and even dangerous".

But what's he thinking now?

Based on everything we've seen in the last couple of weeks - mobilisation, so-called referendums, the rabidly anti-Western speech he delivered last Friday and the decision to push ahead with annexation - it's clear his strategy is escalation.

Even though Russia is losing ground, what we've seen from Putin are not the actions of a leader who is looking for an off-ramp or a negotiating settlement, or one who realises he is in danger of losing.

He remains determined to win in Ukraine and against the West - and he still believes he holds powerful cards.

It appears the Putinmobile has no reverse gear - and possibly no brakes. It carries on down a very dangerous path - an escalatory one.

Image source, Reuters

An inspection of two of the leaks at the Nord Stream gas pipelines linking Russia to Europe has strengthened suspicions that they were acts of sabotage, Swedish authorities have said.

"We can conclude that there have been detonations at Nord Stream 1 and 2 in the Swedish exclusive economic zone that has led to extensive damage to the gas pipelines," public prosecutor Mats Ljungqvist said in a statement.

He said pieces of evidence had been gathered at the scene and would now be examined.

Four leaks were discovered on Monday last week in the Baltic Sea off the Danish island of Bornholm. Two of the leaks were located in the Swedish exclusive economic zone, and the two others in the Danish one.

Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines, which connect Russia to Germany, have been at the centre of geopolitical tensions, with Russia accused of using gas supplies as a weapon against the West over its support for Ukraine.

While the pipelines are not currently in operation, they both still contained gas before the suspected sabotage.

Both the US and Russia have denied responsibility for the leaks.

Image source, .

International leaders are arriving at the European Political Community (EPC) summit in Prague.

The first meeting of the EPC is being held in Prague Castle, bringing together leaders of the 27 European Union states and 17 other European countries.

Among them is UK Prime Minister Liz Truss, who is expected to call for unity among her European counterparts over Russia's war in Ukraine.

Here's a selection of images as leaders arrive at the summit:

Image source, EPA

Image source, EPA

Image source, Reuters

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, EPA

Russia "must be punished" for its missile attacks on the the southern Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia, says Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba.

The regional governor says a woman was killed and at least seven people, including a three-year-old, were wounded.

Kuleba says overnight, seven Russian missiles hit civilians who were "sleeping peacefully at their homes", adding that more missiles have struck during the day.

"Russians keep deliberately striking civilians to sow fear. Russian terror must be stopped - by force of weapons, sanctions, and full isolation," he said in a tweet, external.

Also condemning the attacks was Ukrainian Digital Minister Mykhailo Fedorov.

"The Russian army loses on the battlefield, so it terrorises the civil people... the whole world must recognise that Russia is a terrorist state," he said in a tweet, external.

We've also been hearing from Russia's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova at a press briefing.

She has said Russia remains "fully committed" to the principle of never allowing a nuclear war to be fought.

She said Moscow's position - that a nuclear war must never be fought - had not changed.

In September, Russian President Vladimir Putin said his country had "various weapons of destruction" and would "use all the means available to us", adding: "I'm not bluffing."

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov also said that the decision of the OPEC+ group of leading oil producers to reduce output by two million barrels per day is aimed at market stabilisation.

The Saudi Arabia-led OPEC+ agreed to the cut during a meeting in Vienna yesterday, ignoring pleas from the White House not to reduce the flow of oil.

A BBC correspondent said the move could damage efforts by the West to restrict Russia's oil income, used to sustain its war in Ukraine.

More now from Kremlin spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, who has denied reports that some 700,000 Russians have fled the country since a partial mobilisation drive was announced on 21 September.

But Peskov told reporters he did not have an alternative figure.

We've received a few lines from Russia, reported by the Reuters news agency.

In his daily press briefing, the Kremlin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, said Russia was informed via diplomatic channels that there were no plans to invite Moscow to join an investigation into recent Nord Stream gas leaks.

He added that Russia considered it "impossible" to conduct such an investigation without Moscow's participation.

To recap: Nord Stream 1, Russia's largest gas pipeline to Europe, has been closed indefinitely after the discovery of a number of leaks. A parallel pipeline, Nord Stream 2, also had leaks.

Western leaders say the leaks were caused deliberately to put pressure on Europe over gas supplies. Russia denies it's to blame.

Image source, Reuters

The Washington Post's Louisa Loveluck has been telling the BBC about life in the town of Lyman, which she visited after the its recapture by Ukrainian troops last Saturday.

"It's hard to overstate how cold it's been there," she said. "They have no water or electricity and people are walking around wearing every single layer they own."

Loveluck told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that people spent a lot of time hiding in their basements with very little access to information or even the ability to contact their loved ones. They did not know about Putin's "annexation" of their region to the Russian Federation.

Asked about what the attitude of the people of Lyman is towards Russia, Loveluck said many of them are Russian speakers and "a lot of them do have maybe a bit of nostalgia for the Soviet Union - they're not Ukrainian nationalists like others.

"But generally they just seem to be people who are very left behind - they live in very rural areas with very poor roads and access to services even before the war. And so when you talk to them you see they don't much care who is ruling them - they just want the fighting to stop."

Image source, PA

A quick look at what's happening away from Zaporizhzhia now.

UK Prime Minister Liz Truss has arrived in the Czech capital Prague for the first summit of the European Political Community (EPC) - described as a new "club of nations".

More than 40 countries will be at the summit, at which world leaders will discuss the war in Ukraine as well as energy, migration and security.

In the opening session, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is expected to give a video address. Truss herself is also set to take the floor and say that the threat from Russia was "left to fester for far too long".

The EPC - which is separate to the European Union - has been championed by the French President Emmanuel Macron, but there's scepticism about the new forum.

Critics see it as a vague regurgitation of old ideas.

But France believes it is a "historic" gathering - unique in scale and context - that could help "rebuild stability on our continent" in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Read more here.

Image source, Reuters

We've been telling you about multiple missile strikes on the city of Zaporizhzhia in southern Ukraine this morning. Here's a short recap:

• Seven missiles hit apartment buildings before dawn, the regional governor says
• Oleksandr Starukh initially reported two people had been killed in the first attack, but later revised this to one, saying the life of the second person had been saved
• Rescuers have been working to pull people believed to be trapped under the rubble
• A second attack followed some time later - the BBC's Paul Adams reported at least three more loud explosions in the city centre
• An eyewitness of the first attack told the BBC she had elderly relatives in one of the buildings hit, and said there was "very little hope that they're alive"
• The attacks come after Russian President Vladimir Putin said he expected the situation to "stabilise" in Ukrainian territories illegally annexed by Russia
• Much of Zaporizhzhia is in Russian hands, although the region's capital city remains under Ukrainian control

Paul Adams
Reporting from Zaporizhzhia

We’re at the scene of one of today’s later missile strikes.

There’s a large crater, 10ft (3m) deep and 20 ft (6m) across, outside a car wash and garage, and extensive damage.

This was clearly caused by a substantial explosion.

There are no reports of casualties here.

Image source, Reuters

One person is confirmed to have been killed in missile attacks in Zaporizhzhia, the regional governor has clarified, after earlier saying that two people had died.

"Updated data on victims. So far, it is known about the death of one woman," Oleksandr Starukh writes on Telegram.

"The death of another person has not been confirmed," he adds. "Thanks to the doctors, her life was saved."

Starukh adds that seven people were injured, including a three-year-old.

He says 21 victims have been saved by the emergency services.

Russian President Vladimir Putin yesterday signed documents to illegally annex the regions of Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia.

However, to varying degrees, all four of the regions being taken are still partially in Ukrainian hands.

In Zaporizhzhia's regional capital - which has come under missile fire this morning - Kyiv's forces remain fully in control.

Image source, .

There are questions over how Russia can claim control of territory its soldiers do not occupy.

But by utilising the areas it does hold, Russia can send newly mobilised troops to a front line that it says is more than 1,000km (620 miles) long.

The annexations could also allow Moscow to ramp up its threats against the West.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday that any strike on annexed territory would be regarded as an act of aggression against Russia itself.

• What annexation means for Ukraine's regions

Rescue teams have been hard at work following missile strikes in the southern city of Zaporizhzhia this morning.

The regional governor earlier posted to say at least two people had died and five were trapped in rubble following the alleged Russian attack.

An initial wave of explosions just before dawn was followed by a second, several hours later.

Image source, Reuters

Image source, Reuters

Image source, Reuters

Image source, Reuters

Hugo Bachega
Ukraine correspondent in Kyiv

Image source, Reuters

Zaporizhzhia, a major city relatively close to the frontlines in the south, has been a constant target for Russian forces in recent weeks. This morning's first attack, which destroyed a block of flats as people slept, was the latest to hit civilian targets.

Across the country, other non-military sites have been hit recently, including power stations, electricity transmission lines and residential buildings. Ukrainian officials have said this is how Russia is responding to recent defeats on the battlefields, as the army continues to retake occupied territory.

In the neighbouring region of Kherson, Ukraine’s forces appear to be regrouping after reclaiming three more villages along the strategic Dnipro River. In an update this morning, the army said the situation remained difficult, and that Russian troops continued to shell civilian areas.

After taking back the strategic town of Lyman in Donetsk, the Ukrainian military advanced into the Luhansk region, and the governor said six villages had been “liberated” in the last two days.

The Ukrainian gains are happening in territories Russia says it is incorporating, following so-called referendums that were widely dismissed as a farce. Kyiv says President Putin’s annexations have no legal value.

Oleksii Reznikov, the Ukrainian defence minister, said in a tweet: “While the ‘russian [sic] parliament’ is intoxicated from the futile attempts at annexation, our soldiers continue moving forward. This is the best answer to any and all ‘referenda’, ‘decrees’, ‘treaties’ and pathetic speeches.”