A report by Daily Mail indicates that Russian rocket artillery opened fire on Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city on Monday, February 28.

Authorities in Kiev confimed that dozens of civilians have been killed and hundreds wounded in what has been described as one of the most-serious attacks since the war began five days ago.

A major shopping centre in the city was hit as a barrage of Grad rockets and Smerch missiles was fired from Russian positions. Twitter user @IAPonomarenko also shared a video where an area was blanketed by explosions.

The unfotunate attack came as thousands of residents in Ukraine queued outside supermarkets for food, The Irish Sun added.

The bodies of dead and badly wounded civilians were seen littered in the streets from images and videos shared on social media.

Other pictures showed BM-21 Grad rocket cartridges laying in the streets and inside apartments.

Footage of the massacre also showed multiple blasts thought to be unguided Grad rockets or banned cluster bombs raining down on Kharkiv in quick succession.