Russia opens criminal case after reporting shelling from Ukraine

Russia's Investigative Committee said that it has initiated a criminal case against an attempted murder after "Ukrainian paramilitaries" shelled the border area of the Rostov region.

From 5 a.m. to 6 a.m. on Saturday, unidentified persons on the territory of Ukraine attacked the border area of the Rostov region by using a multiple launch rocket system, the Committee said in a statement.

No casualties among the civilians were reported, and an investigation is underway, Xinhua news agency quoted the statement as saying.

Explosions were reported in the border area of the Rostov region as a large number of refugees are fleeing from Ukraine's Donbas to Russia to escape a possible war.

On Friday, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the acting head of the emergencies ministry to urgently fly to the Rostov region to organise on-site work on providing refugees with accommodation, hot meals and other necessities, including medical care.

Hours after the shelling was reported, Sputnik reported that the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry denied the allegation, saying Kiev made no such attacks.