A Russian missile struck a playground in Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's hometown of Kryvyi Rih on Saturday, killing nine children.

The United Nations described it as Russia's deadliest attack on Ukrainian children since the war began three years ago.

The Russian Defense Ministry claimed the intended target was a meeting of Ukrainian commanders at a nearby restaurant. However, security camera footage reportedly shows no military personnel present at the time of the strike.

The city declared three days of mourning following the deadly attacks, which also killed nearly a dozen adults.

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The strikes continued into Sunday. According to Zelenskyy, they were launched from Russian ships in the Black Sea.

Ukraine has agreed to a ceasefire in the Black Sea, but Russian President Vladimir Putin said he wants sanctions lifted before committing to any agreement.

Zelenskyy has called the demand a stalling tactic.

“They want to leave themselves the opportunity to strike our cities and ports from the sea,” he said.

Overnight, Ukraine reported that Russia fired 23 missiles — about half of which were intercepted and shot down.