Cruise missiles and artillery target homes, a hotel and a college.

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$24 billion aid package Ukrainians say 36 missiles were intercepted

Russian missiles and artillery pounded cities across Ukraine early on Thursday, sparking fires, killing at least two people and trapping others under rubble, authorities said.

The early morning wave of missile strikes on what’s known as the International Day of Peace was Russia’s largest in over a month, and came as world leaders met at the United Nations General Assembly in New York. In a speech there, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy denounced Russia as “a terrorist state.”

$24 billion aid package

Zelenskyy was to meet President Joe Biden and congressional leaders in Washington on Thursday with an additional $24 billion aid package hanging in the balance.

Air raid sirens sounded repeatedly across Ukraine, as Russia launched dozens of missiles and, near the front lines, likely used shorter-range artillery to pound the southern city of Kherson. Two people were killed in Kherson Thursday and at least five injured after a residential building was hit, said regional Governor Oleksand Prokudin.

Seven people were injured in Kyiv, including a nine-year-old girl, Mayor Vitalii Klitschko said, as missile strikes blew out windows in buildings and cars and left fires burning around crumpled metal wreckage.

Marharyta Moldokova, 76, who had taken shelter on the floor of her Kyiv home just before hearing the explosion and sound of her window shattering, denounced Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“Everything is not enough for him,” she said. “What does he need?”

Ukrainians say 36 missiles were intercepted

The Ukrainian Air Force said it had intercepted 36 of 43 cruise missiles launched deep into Ukraine. Kharkiv, closer to the front lines, was struck with S-300 missiles.

At least six strikes damaged civilian infrastructure in the Slobidskyi district of Kharkiv, said regional Governor Oleh Syniehubov. The city’s mayor added that two people had been hospitalised.

At least 10 people were injured and at least one person was rescued from under rubble in Cherkasy, in central Ukraine, according to Ihor Klymenko, minister of internal affairs of Ukraine. Up to 23 people may still be buried under rubble, said Cherkasy regional Governor Ihor Taburets. Rescue services were working to clear the debris.

An industrial zone was hit in the western region of Lviv, damaging buildings and starting a fire, but no information on casualties was immediately available, Klymenko added.

Regional Governor Vitalii Koval reported strikes in the city of Rivne in the northwest region of the same name, without immediately providing details.

Russia’s Ministry of Defence said 22 drones were taken down overnight by air defence systems, 19 above Russian-annexed Crimea and three others in the Kursk, Belgorod and Oryol regions near Ukraine. The defence ministry did not say whether there were any casualties.

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