KYIV – In a series of overnight strikes, Russian forces unleashed glide bombs and drones on Ukraine’s second-largest city, targeting a hospital and injuring seven individuals, an official reported on Tuesday. This attack comes as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy plans a visit to Washington to seek further military support from U.S. President Donald Trump.

The Russian attack on Kharkiv in Ukraine’s northeast hit the city’s main hospital, forcing the evacuation of 50 patients, regional head Oleh Syniehubov said. The attack’s main targets were energy facilities, Zelenskyy said, without providing details of what was hit.

“Russia attacks power plants, power lines, and natural gas facilities every day and night,” Zelenskyy communicated via Telegram.

Russian long-range strikes on its neighbor’s power grid are part of a campaign since Moscow launched a full-scale invasion in February 2022 to disable Ukraine’s power supply, denying civilians heat and running water during the bitter winter.

President Zelenskyy has called on international allies to bolster Ukraine’s defenses against these aerial assaults by supplying more air defense systems, essential for protecting the expansive nation, which is comparable in size to Texas.

“We are counting on the actions of the U.S. and Europe, the G7, all partners who have these systems and can provide them to protect our people,” Zelenskyy said. “The world must force Moscow to sit down at the table for real negotiations.”

Zelenskyy is due to meet with Trump in Washington on Friday.

The talks are expected to center on the potential U.S. provision to Ukraine of sophisticated long-range weapons that can hit back at Russia.

Trump has warned Moscow that he may send Tomahawk cruise missiles for Ukraine to use. Such a move, previously ruled out by Washington for fear of escalating the war, would deepen tensions between the United States and Russia.

But it could provide leverage to help push Moscow into negotiations after Trump expressed frustration over Russian President Vladimir Putin’s refusal to budge on key aspects of a possible peace deal.

Tomahawks would sharpen Ukraine’s ability to fight back against Russia, though its long-range attacks are already taking a toll on Russian oil production, Ukrainian officials and foreign military analysts say.

Its strikes using newly developed long-range missiles and drones are causing significant gas shortages in Russia, according to Zelenskyy.

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