including three children, were killed and dozens injured in widespread strikes, officials said. The attack came a day after the Ukrainian capital Kyiv suffered one of the heaviest assaults of the war. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky said the "brutality cannot be stopped" without "strong pressure on the Russian leadership". Russia has been ignoring calls for a ceasefire.

He continued to say the "silence of America" and others "only encourages Putin", an apparent effort to exert pressure on US President Donald Trump who has said the Russian leader is interested in ending the war. Ukraine's Air Force said that since 20:40 on Saturday local time (17:40 GMT), Russia had carried out strikes using 367 missiles of various types, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and drones. The air force said it had shot down 45 cruise missiles and destroyed 266 UAVs, with most regions in Ukraine affected and hits recorded in 22 locations.

Rescuers were working in more than 30 cities and villages after the "massive" strike, Zelensky said in a statement on X on Sunday morning. "Russia is dragging out this war and continues to kill every day," he said. "The world may go on a weekend break, but the war continues, regardless of weekends and weekdays. This cannot be ignored."

Russia's defence ministry said it had inflicted damage on targets including military airfields, ammunition depots and electric warfare stations, claiming damage across 142 areas. According to Ukraine's Minister of Internal Affairs, Ihor Klymenko, 13 regions were attacked, with more than 60 people injured, 80 residential buildings damaged, and 27 fires recorded. Deaths were reported in several regions. (BBC)