At least seven people were killed on Wednesday in Russian air strikes on Ukrainian cities which President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said showed Moscow was not interested in peace.
In a series of early-morning drone strikes, six people were killed and 18 were taken to hospital when two dormitories and an educational facility were hit in Rzhyshchiv, 40 miles (64 km) south of Kyiv, regional police chief Andrii Nebytov said.
The attack left a gaping hole in the top floor of a five-story dormitory and a pile of rubble marked where part of another building had stood, a Reuters witness said.
Hours later, two residential buildings were damaged in a missile strike on the southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia. Local officials said one person was killed and 33 were taken to hospital.
The Ukrainian military said Russia had launched 21 drones at Ukraine overnight, including Iranian-made Shahed drones, and that 16 of them had been knocked out.
Zelensky reacts to the drone attack
"Over 20 Iranian murderous drones, plus missiles, numerous shelling incidents, and that's just in one last night of Russian terror against Ukraine," President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Twitter.
Over 20 Iranian murderous drones, plus missiles, numerous shelling occasions, and that's just in one last night of Russian terror against . Every time someone tries to hear the word "peace" in Moscow, another order is given there for such criminal strikes. 1/2
— Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) March 22, 2023
"Every time someone tries to hear the word 'peace' in Moscow, another order is given there for such criminal strikes."
He described the attack on Zaporizhzhia as an act of "bestial savagery."
Russia' which launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine 13 months ago, has repeatedly carried out waves of air attacks in recent months.
In Rzhyshchiv, rescue workers continued to search through the rubble after Nebytov said three people were still missing.
"We are worried they may be under the rubble, so work to pick apart the rubble is proceeding very carefully," he said. "The majority of people (at the dormitories) were saved because they... were in bomb shelters."
He said there had been several explosions after 3 a.m. (0100 GMT) and the dead included an ambulance driver who had arrived on the scene.
Air force spokesperson Yuriy Ihnat said Russia probably carried out the Zaporizhzhia attack with high-speed rockets fired from the Tornado-S multiple rocket launch system.
"From launching to striking (the target), it takes seconds," he said.