Russian strikes killed eight people in various parts of Ukraine, while Kyiv came under missile attacks that injured 12, according to local authorities.

Meanwhile, President Volodymyr Zelensky urged the speedy delivery of weapons to his country, saying: "Agreements reached by leaders of states must be implemented faster and in full," noting that this applies to cooperation with the United States on a license to produce Patriot air defense systems.

Agence France-Presse correspondents in the Ukrainian capital reported explosions in the early hours of Saturday, minutes before air raid sirens were activated.

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The mayor of the northern city of Sumy, Artem Kobzar, said a Russian strike with a "guided aerial bomb" killed five people, including a young girl, in the city.

A video posted by Kobzar on Telegram showed a destroyed car and minibus, as well as craters in the ground.

Another person was killed in a Russian attack on the eastern town of Sloviansk, authorities said.

In the Black Sea city of Odesa (south), a Russian missile strike killed two truck drivers, according to city authorities, who added that a ship flying the flag of Saint Kitts and Nevis was also hit, without casualties.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha described the strikes as "deliberate killing of civilians" and called on Ukraine's allies to provide it with the necessary means, such as American Patriot missiles, to intercept Russian missiles, especially ballistic ones.

In Kyiv, 12 people were injured, "including two children aged 10 and 11," according to Mayor Vitali Klitschko in a Telegram post.

Oleksandr Kovtunov, head of the Darnytsia district administration, said, "One of the missiles was loaded with shrapnel that damaged cars and homes. Fortunately, the streets were empty at the time and no one was near the windows."

A video released by Ukrainian rescue services showed firefighters avoiding craters to reach destroyed buildings with smoke rising, while the strikes caused damage in three areas and fires in warehouses.

Heavy shelling and shortage of interceptor missiles

Kyiv has been subjected to intense strikes since June, with Ukraine currently lacking interceptor missiles to counter the increasing Russian ballistic attacks.

Thirty people were killed on the night of July 1-2 (July) from widespread shelling.

Zelensky said in a post on X that Moscow targeted Ukraine with "more than 120 drones and 12 missiles, half of them ballistic."

He noted that air defenses "managed to shoot down most of the targets, but not the ballistic missiles."

President Zelensky and Trump at the recent NATO summit – AFP

He explained that "civilian infrastructure was attacked, even before the air raid sirens were activated."

He reiterated his call on Kyiv's allies to send more military aid to help it repel the Russian invasion, now in its fifth year.

He urged the United States to expedite its pledge to grant Ukraine a license to manufacture Patriot air defense systems.

Zelensky said in his daily address, "Weeks should not pass between the announcement of a support package for Ukraine and its implementation..."

He added, "Ukrainian warriors need more means, more capabilities to protect lives, to protect people from Russian evil."

U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday, on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara, a preliminary agreement that would allow Ukraine to produce Patriot interceptor missiles.

Saturday's strike on Kyiv was the second in less than a week in which missiles managed to reach their target before air raid warnings were activated.

Adviser to the Ukrainian Defense Ministry Serhiy Sterniko said on Telegram that Russia may have used missiles belonging to the S-400 air defense system in this attack.

These missiles were originally designed to strike aerial targets, but Moscow has previously used them as ballistic missiles to hit ground targets.

Sterniko explained that their detection by radar is "more difficult," adding that "there is no military logic behind these attacks."

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