Igor Klymenko said Moscow had launched "a massive bombing" of the southern city, while the air force said almost 50 drones had attacked the country overnight.

Russian troops occupied Kherson shortly after Moscow launched its invasion of Ukraine in late February 2022.

They eventually withdrew under pressure from Ukrainian forces but have continued to bombard the city from across the Dnipro river.

"Kherson in the evening. Around 140 civilians waiting at the station for an evacuation train. That's the moment that the enemy began a massive bombing of the city," Klymenko said on Telegram.

One policeman was killed and four other people -- two civilians and two police officers -- were wounded by shrapnel, he said.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said that "a number of civilians were on the scene" when the strike hit, adding that emergency services had responded to the incident.

The interior ministry identified the police officer killed as 29-year-old Igor Misyun, adding that he was "survived by his wife and two children".

Ukrainian railway company Ukrzaliznytsya said on Telegram that the station and a train were damaged but "the situation is under control and the railway is ready to continue functioning".

Later, the head of the Kherson military administration, Roman Mrochko, said the city was "under a drone attack" and urged citizens to take shelter.

He said the attack included Shahed drones, the Iranian-made weapons often used by Russia to strike Ukraine.

Ukraine's air force said 46 Shaheds were launched across its territory during the night.

"Most of the drones that could not be shot down were attacking the frontline territories, in particular Kherson region," it added.

The air force said its defences shot down 32 of the drones while "several more UAVs fell without consequences".

Across the border in Russia, the governor of Rostov said "a drone was shot down by air defence forces over" the region.

"Consequences on the ground are being clarified," added Vasily Golubev.

The attacks came after the Kremlin acknowledged a Ukrainian attack had damaged a warship in the occupied Crimean port of Feodosia, in what Kyiv and its Western allies called a major setback for the Russian navy.

Ukraine said its air force destroyed the Novocherkassk landing ship, with Zelensky joking on social media that the vessel had now joined "the Russian underwater Black Sea fleet".

Ukraine, nevertheless, announced a setback on the eastern front Tuesday.

Commander-in-chief Valeriy Zaluzhny said troops had pulled back in the town of Maryinka, near the key Russian-held city of Donetsk.

He said troops were still present on the outskirts after Russia on Monday claimed to fully control the town.