A former director of Russia's space agency was wounded by Ukrainian shelling in eastern Ukraine on Wednesday, according to state-run news agency TASS.

Ex-Roscomos head Dmitry Rogozin, who now leads a team of Russian military volunteers in the Donbas region, was taken to hospital with a back wound after his hotel in Donetsk came under shelling, his aide told TASS.

"His life is not in danger," the aide said.

The strike in the Russian-occupied city killed at least two people and injured several more, TASS reported.

"Evidently, it was a targeted strike," Rogozin's aide said, claiming the shelling came from a 155mm self-propelled artillery system.