Zelensky says end of war depends on allies 'resolve'

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said that the end of the war with Russia depended on the "resolve" of Ukraine's Western allies in providing needed weaponry and permission to use it.

Mr Zelensky, speaking in his nightly video address, thanked his military for a new strike on an arsenal in Russia, though he did not identify the location.

He also said his meetings next week in the United States were "crucial" to ensuring that Ukraine had the defense capabilities it needed.

"If we could direct all our precision towards defending our state, if there were enough missiles and permissions that partners could provide for this, the overall situation in the war would be better for our security."

He added: "The answer to the question 'When will the war end?' is actually in when our partners' resolve will not lag behind what we can do for our defense, our independence, our victory."

"Our clear strategy will be on the table of our partners. On the table of the president of the United States."

Ukraine is also seeking permission to use Western weapons against targets deep inside Russia to pre-empt Russia's air attacks on Ukraine's infrastructure, including energy facilities.

Earlier, Ukraine said it struck two weapons depots in southern and western Russia, including a key site for Russia's forces, with Russian authorities announcing some evacuations and declaring a local emergency situation.

Ukraine also said a Russian nighttime strike on Mr Zelensky's home city of Kryvyi Rig killed a 12-year-old boy and two elderly women.

The attacks came ahead of an upcoming trip by Mr Zelensky to the United States, where he is due to present his plans on how to end the nearly 31-month-long war.

Ukraine's army said it had hit an arms depot near the city of Tikhoretsk in the southern Krasnodar region, calling it one of Russia's "three largest ammunition storage bases" important to the Russian army's logistics for its Ukraine invasion.

It also said it struck an arsenal in the western Tver region.

Authorities in Tver and Krasnodar said they had been attacked but Russia did not say exactly what was struck.

Krasnodar governor Vieniamin Kondratyev announced the evacuation of 1,200 people from villagers, saying a drone attack caused a fire that "spread to explosive objects" near Tikhoretsk.

He later said a state of a "local emergency situation" was introduced in Tikhoretsk - a city of some 50,000 people - in the southern region.

Authorities said most villagers were staying with relatives, while others were in temporary accommodation in Tikhoretsk.

"It is important that there is no threat to people. But it will take time to fully check the territory," Mr Kondratyev warned.

Videos on social media showed a massive explosion in the dark resembling fireworks at first before blowing up loudly.

Footage online later showed sirens ringing around Tikhoretsk, a city of some 50,000 people in daylight, with smoke rising into the air in the distance.

Authorities said villagers had been evacuated, with most staying with relatives while others were placed in temporary accommodation in Tikhoretsk.

Authorities published footage of villagers - mostly elderly people - arriving to a room with set-up beds, as well as volunteers greeting evacuees arriving by bus.

The local government said they are being provided with medical and psychological assistance.

The Krasnodar region is separated from occupied Ukraine by the Azov sea and has been relatively spared from the type of attacks on Russian border or other southern regions.

But over the last year it has seen increased assaults.

In the western Tver region, authorities announced the temporary closure of a major federal road after the Ukrainian attack near the city of Toropets.

In the central Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rig, authorities said Russia had struck "private houses" at night, releasing images of brick houses razed to the ground.

"The boy killed by Russians in Kryvyi Rig was 12 years old," the head of the Dnipropetrovsk region, Sergiy Lisak, said on Telegram.

"The missile strike also ended the lives of two women, aged 75 and 79," he added.

Authorities earlier said that a night-time strike had destroyed two houses and damaged "two dozen", also damaging a school.

Kryvyi Rig, where Mr Zelensky was born, has been targeted by Russia throughout its more than two-year-long invasion.

Ukraine also said two people were wounded in a Russian drone attack in the southern Kherson region on Saturday.