Russian forces on March 12 struck apartment buildings in the Ukrainian cities of Kupyansk and Kryviy Rih, killing at least three people.
Early in the day, a Russian strike hit an apartment building in Kupyansk, in the eastern region of Kharkiv, Ukraine's State Emergency Service said.
The strike caused extensive damage and triggered several fires, but there were no immediate reports of casualties, the service said in a message on Telegram.
Then, late in the evening, a Russian missile slammed into two apartment buildings in Kryviy Rih in central Ukraine, killing three people and injuring at least 38. Ten children were among the injured.
Rescue teams were sifting through rubble in a nighttime search for survivors.
Kryviy Rih, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's hometown, has regularly been targeted by Russia's armed forces.
The Ukrainian military said earlier in the day that its air defenses shot down 17 of 22 drones launched by Russia.
Russia has stepped up air and ground attacks on Ukraine this year as the country runs low on air defense and ammunition.
Ukraine has asked the United States and other NATO members for more air defense.
A $60 billion U.S. aid package that would open the door to shipments of military aid to Ukraine has been held up for five months by Republicans in the House of Representatives.
The United States on March 12 announced a new $300 million military aid package to Ukraine, the first in months, after it found additional funding from the Pentagon.
That aid package will consist of munitions and rockets, the Biden administration said.
