Sixteen people were injured in a Russian airstrike on the southern Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhya on Monday morning, the local authorities said.

It was reportedly the first time that the city had been targeted with so-called glide bombs, according to Ukrainian media reports.

The overnight attack damaged 13 residential buildings, two kindergartens and several cars, the Ukrainian police confirmed.

The city is located about 60 kilometres from the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant, which is occupied by the Russian military.

Reports say Russian fighter jets drop the glide bombs near the front lines. The munitions are then guided to their targets over dozens of kilometres.

These bombs, carrying several hundred kilograms of explosives, have caused significant damage in the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv and other locations.

To counter such attacks, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is requesting permission to use Western weapons against Russian air bases near the front lines.

But Kyiv’s strongest allies have been reluctant for fear of edging themselves further towards confrontation with Russia