A home video shows a Ukrainian family celebrating the birthday of a young child in a bright yellow kitchen of an apartment block. A picture of the same kitchen with the external wall torn off by a Russian missile tells the story of shattered lives.

The kitchen is now exposed to the elements. Its modern yellow units are clearly visible from outside but chairs, a table, a bowl of fruit and household items such as a microwave remain undisturbed.

The bright yellow cupboards of the kitchen vividly contrast with the devastation surrounding it.

Father of the child, Mykhailo Korenovskyi, was among the 44 people killed in a Russian missile strike on the apartment block in the Ukrainian city of Dnipro. Korenovskyi's wife and two young daughters were not at home when the nine-floor apartment block was hit.

A woman distributes food as emergency personnel work at the apartment block in Dnipro. – Reuters

Twenty more people are still unaccounted for and 79 have been injured after apartment block was split in half with the middle reduced to rubble.

Hundreds of people gathered at the city's university sports hall to pay tribute to Korenovskiy, a respected boxing coach, at a memorial service for him.

Moscow denies intentionally targeting civilians and blamed Ukraine's air defences for the missile that hit the apartment block. Kyiv says it was hit by a notoriously inaccurate Russian anti-ship missile for which Ukraine has no defences.

A recent family video shows Korenovskyi's daughter smiling and blowing out candles on her birthday cake while he stands behind her in the kitchen, holding another child in his arms.

"He tried to pay attention to everyone, to all of his trainees. He trained boxers of a high level, but he never forgot about children," Oleh Bilenko, a colleague, said at Korenovskyi's memorial service.

Olga Korenovska, wife of Mykhailo Korenovskyi, Ukrainian boxing coach and a father of two who killed during the Russian missile attack in Dnipro. – Reuters

"He really loved children who were just starting out in boxing, he encouraged them to get involved in boxing, to teach them. He always tried to fully commit himself. He was a very well-rounded person."

Members of Korenovskyi's family wept as friends offered their condolences and covered his coffin with flowers. 

Another colleague, Oleksandr Bohutskyi, said many of Korenovskyi's boxers had been successful, both children and adults.

"Our sports school, the city, the region and to be honest the whole country was proud of his athletic achievements, of his students’ achievements," Bohutskyi said.

Emergency services have ended their search for survivors of the attack. Forty-four people have been confirmed killed and 20 are still unaccounted for, they said.