At least 18 people were killed and 59 others wounded in a missile strike on a mall in Kremenchuk in central Ukraine, the head of Ukraine's emergency services said on Tuesday.

Ukrainian President Zelenskyy said in a Telegram message on Monday that more than 1,000 civilians were at the mall when the missile hit and accused Russia of the attack. 

The mall is roughly the size of two football fields and the strike occurred at around 4 p.m. local time.

Photos from the scene showed heavy smoke billowing from the building, which is engulfed by fire. 

The Ukrainian Air Force Command said the mall had been hit by at least one Kh-22 missile fired by Tu-22 M3 bombers operating in the Kursk region of Russia, near the Ukrainian border. 

Russia has not yet officially commented on the strike. Russian First Deputy Representative to the UN Dmitry Polyansky retweeted a post about Zelenskyy's claim. 

Calling the attack an apparent new Bucha-style Ukrainian provocation, Polyansky said there are too many striking discrepancies already. "Exactly what Kiev regime needs to keep focus of attention on Ukraine before NATO summit," he said. 

The United Nations Security Council will hold an emergency meeting on Tuesday, with the Kremenchuk attack being "the main focus," the UN body said.