Wave of Russian strikes hits Ukraine; 12 hurt

Fresh Russian strikes targeting Ukrainian regions in the night of Saturday to yesterday wounded at least 12 people, according to the war-torn country's authorities, calling on Western allies for increased military support.

Talks on ending the fighting between the two sides are at an impasse, with Kyiv accusing Moscow, which occupies nearly one-fifth of Ukraine's territory, of wanting the war to drag on.

In the night the Russian army launched 477 drones and 60 missiles of various types, according to the Ukrainian air force, which said it had intercepted 475 and 39 of those respectively.

The strikes led to "six impacts", the air force said, without giving further details.  Besides the civilian casualties, a fighter pilot was killed in the night after his F-16 jet was damaged in mid-air "without him having the time to eject", according to an air force statement.

Meanwhile, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky signed decree on plan to withdraw Ukraine from anti-landmine treaty.

Pointing to the Russian bombardment, he argued it showed that his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin "has long decided to pursue this war, despite the international community's calls for peace".