Russia's defense ministry said on Thursday its forces had hit a military train at Chaplyne railway station in Ukraine's Dnipropetrovsk region.

Kyiv says 25 civilians died in the Russian strike on Wednesday, which it says was aimed at residential areas. Russia denies targeting civilians in what it calls a "special military operation" in Ukraine.

Reuters was unable to verify battlefield reports.

In its daily briefing on Thursday, Russia's defense ministry said an Iskander missile had hit a military train at Chaplyne that was set to deliver arms to the frontline in the eastern Donbas region.

Moscow also said it had destroyed eight Ukrainian fighter planes in strikes against airbases in Ukraine's Poltava and Dnipropetrovsk regions. That would be one of the heaviest losses for Ukraine's air force in recent weeks.