Ukrainian forces launched a cascade of 40 rockets at central Donetsk in the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) on Sunday, targeting 7 residential and business areas that were already bombed previously.

According to the DPR joint coordination center, the missiles struck the neighborhoods of Kievsky and Voroshilovsky in just the span of two minutes, and a Sputnik correspondent added that throughout the day, bangs were continuously heard across the city. 

Donetsk Mayor Alexei Kulemzin confirmed that a library, a school building, a park, and multiple homes have been hit as a result. 

Back in December, Ukrainian troops shelled the city of Donetsk using BM-21 Grad rockets and according to the DPR mission, two people, including a teenager, were injured in the shelling. Ukrainian troops also shelled the city of Horlivka overnight.

It is noteworthy that on September 30, Russian President Vladimir Putin and the heads of the Donetsk and Lugansk people's republics, as well as Kherson and Zaporozhye regions, signed agreements on the accession of these territories to Russia, following referenda that showed that an overwhelming majority of the local population supported becoming part of Russia.

The Russian troops were able to free Nikolayevka in the DPR this month after fully liberating Kurdyumovka by downing four Ukrainian drones and 15 HIMARS rockets.

"In the Donetsk area, volunteers of assault units with the fire support of missile troops and artillery of the southern battlegroup liberated the settlement of Nikolayevka in the Donetsk People’s Republic as a result of successful offensive operations."