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Ukrainian officials said Russian attacks killed at least seven people Thursday and injured at least 28 others in the northeastern city of Kharkiv.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the attack was "extremely cruel." He also reaffirmed his exasperation over not getting enough air defense systems from Kyiv's Western allies to defend Ukraine against such attacks.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba echoed Zelenskyy, saying the assault highlights Ukraine's "urgent" need for additional U.S.-made Patriot air-defense systems to protect Ukrainians from aerial bombardments.
"Unfortunately, mere words of solidarity do not intercept Russian missiles," he wrote on X.
Kharkiv Regional Gov. Oleh Syniehubov said on Telegram that Russia struck the area at least 15 times.
Kharkiv, a city of about 1 million people and the capital of the region of the same name, is located about 12 miles from the Russian border.
No media source currently available
In recent weeks, Russia's ground offensive in the area has led to Russian troops capturing villages in the area. Looming over Ukraine are concerns that Russian forces are working to get within artillery range of the city of Kharkiv.
"The main focus [of the fighting] is on the entire border area," Zelenskyy said in his nightly video address Wednesday.
The Ukrainian president also criticized international partners for not permitting Ukraine to use Western-provided weapons to strike missile launchers located in Russia.
"This weakness is not our weakness, but that of the world's, which for the third year already has not dared to deal with the terrorists exactly as they deserve," he said.
In a Thursday interview with VOA's Ukrainian Service, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said, "We don't encourage strikes outside of Ukraine's borders."
"We don't enable such strikes beyond Ukraine's borders. We understand that when it comes to using non-U.S. provided weapons, ultimately Ukraine will make its own decisions," Miller added.
Meanwhile in western Russia's Belgorod region, officials reported damage Thursday from Ukrainian aerial attacks.
The Russian defense ministry said it destroyed 35 Ukrainian rockets and three aerial drones over Belgorod.
Belgorod regional Gov. Vyacheslav Gladkov said on Telegram that Ukrainian attacks damaged a building and sparked a fire in Belgorod city.
Gladkov also reported damage to multiple houses in two villages in the region.
Belgorod is located along the Russia-Ukraine border and is a frequent target of Ukrainian attacks.
Meanwhile, President Zelenskyy praised Sweden for a three-year support package totaling more than $7 billion in aid.
"It will strengthen not only us, not only Ukraine, but the entire European perimeter from the Baltic to the Black Sea," Zelenskyy said in his nightly address Wednesday.
The Ukrainian leader also made a fresh plea for more air defenses.
Zelenskyy said Ukraine needs a weapon to counter the guided bombs Russia has used to attack energy and other infrastructure.
"There is no alternative - Ukraine needs systems and tactics that will allow us to defend our positions, our cities and communities from these bombs," Zelenskyy said.
He said that in April alone, Russia sent more than 3,200 such bombs into Ukraine in addition to missiles and drones.
Oleksii Kovalenko of VOA's Ukrainian Service contributed to this report. Some information came from Reuters and the Associated Press.
The Voice of America provides news and information in more than 40 languages to an estimated weekly audience of over 326 million people. Stories with the VOA News byline are the work of multiple VOA journalists and may contain information from wire service reports.