Ukrainians told to shelter after 'leak' at ammonia plant

Residents of the northern Ukrainian town of Novoselytsya should seek shelter after an ammonia leak at a nearby chemical factory, an official said Monday, as intense fighting with Russian forces in the area continues.

Sumy regional governor Dmytro Zhyvytsky said there had been an "ammonia leakage" at the Sumykhimprom facility, affecting an area within 2.5 kilometres (1.5 miles) of the plant, which produces fertilisers.

The extent and cause of the incident was not immediately clear, but residents were told to seek refuge in basements or on lower levels of buildings to avoid exposure.

"Ammonia is lighter than air, therefore shelters, basements and lower floors should be used for protection," Zhyvytsky said in a Telegram message.

He added that emergency crews were at the scene and prevailing winds meant the nearby city of Sumy -- with a pre-war population of around 250,000 -- was not under immediate threat.

According to Sumykhimprom's website the facility produces a range of chemical fertilisers. 

Sumy, about 350 kilometres (220 miles) east of Kyiv, has experienced weeks of heavy fighting.

In recent days the Russian government has intensified propaganda and disinformation efforts alleging Ukraine is preparing to use improvised chemical weapons and has been developing a clandestine WMD programme.

The Russian Ministry of Defence claimed late Sunday that "nationalists" had "mined" ammonia and chlorine storage facilities at Sumykhimprom "with the aim of mass poisoning of residents of the Sumy region, in case of entry into the city of units of the Russian Armed Forces". 

Russia has repeatedly denied helping Syria use chemical weapons in multiple attacks against its own citizens during the country's 11-year-old civil war.

Moscow has also denied using chemical weapons against Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny as well as ex Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia.

At least six dead in overnight bombing of Kyiv mall

At least six people were killed in the overnight bombing of a shopping centre in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, an AFP journalist said Monday, with rescuers combing the wreckage for other victims.

Six bodies were laid out in front of the Retroville shopping mall in the northwest of Kyiv, according to the journalist.

The 10-storey building was hit by a powerful blast that pulverised vehicles in its car park and left a crater several metres (yards) wide.

The burnt-out mall was still smoking on Monday morning. All of its south side had been destroyed, as well as a fitness centre in its car park.

Twisted bits of metal and other debris were strewn across the area for hundreds of metres, as firefighters and soldiers searched the devastation for victims.

In the night, AFP journalists said a huge blast shook the city and fires could be seen blazing in the mall.

"Enemy shelling" had caused fires on several floors and set several cars ablaze, emergency services said on Facebook.

They released security camera footage showing a massive explosion and a mushroom cloud, followed by a series of smaller blasts.

Firefighters pulled at least one man covered in dust from the twisted debris, according to more video released by the emergency services.

Soldiers cordoned off the site and told journalists to move back, warning of danger from unexploded munitions without elaborating further.

Neighbours in a housing block whose windows were shattered by the blast said they had seen a mobile rocket launcher near the mall for several days previously.

Kyiv has been hit by a series of strikes over the past week, with one on an apartment block earlier Sunday wounding five people.

Russia's advance on Kyiv has however largely stalled. Moscow's forces engage in sporadic fighting to the northwest and east but have barely moved for two weeks.