Ukrainian soldiers shelled a bus in the Russian-controlled area of southern Ukraine's Kherson region on Friday, resulting in at least five fatalities and as many injuries, according to the Russian TASS news agency.

Authorities that were imposed by Russia in the area claimed that the attack happened as the bus was transporting people across a bridge close to the village of Darivka.

The burnt-out remains of what looked to be a bus's chassis were shown in videos posted by the Russian military news agency Zvezda, along with a van that was behind it and had smoke coming out of its front compartment.

"Ambulance crews promptly arrived at the scene and provided emergency medical treatment to the victims," a Telegram channel run by the Russian-installed health authorities said.

One of the few Russian-controlled crossings over the Inhulets River, a tributary of the enormous Dnipro, is the roughly 100-meter-long Daryivskiy bridge.

The bridge, which is only 20 kilometres (12 miles) north-east of Kherson city, connects two Russian-occupied portions of the region and is therefore strategically significant.

At least twice, it has been shelled, and Ukrainian forces declared in August that they had rendered it inoperable.

(With inputs from agencies)