Russian forces conducted their largest airstrikes in Ukraine in months on Friday. At least 25 people were killed.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the Russians fired more than 20 missiles and that his forces managed to shoot most of them down. However, one hit a block of apartment buildings in the central city of Uman, and another struck the southeastern city of Dnipro.

Zelenskyy said, "Russia must lose in this war and its leadership must be punished for the crime of aggression, and genocide, against Ukrainians."

Ukrainian commanders have been working to prepare their soldiers for a counteroffensive. They have completed training and have taken delivery of arms from their Western allies.

Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov said, "We will do it as soon as there is God's will, the weather and the decision of the commanders."

Russian leaders are scrambling to deploy more troops in addition to the hundreds of thousands already there.

President Vladimir Putin told a meeting of Russian lawmakers in St. Petersburg on Friday that new measures to support them and their families need to be worked out.