Ukrainian authorities said Russia hit civilian targets in the towns of Slovyansk and Samar on July 13, but the strikes came amid a relative lull in reported attacks ahead of what US President Donald Trump said would be "major statement" on the conflict.

The military administration in Slovyansk, in eastern Ukraine, said there were casualties including a 13-year-old boy as Russian shelling hit residential areas.

They did not immediately provide further details.

In Samar, 170 kilometers to the west, authorities said a school building and residences were hit. There was no immediate official confirmation of media reports of casualties.

The attacks came after Ukraine passed the first night in some two months without a mass drone attack by Russia, although the skies were not entirely calm.

A Ukrainian Air Forcestatementon July 13 said Russia had launched 60 Shahed attack UAVs and decoy drones of various types over the previous 24 hours.

The scale of the attack was much smaller than the kind of bombardment Ukraine has endured in recent weeks.

Russia has massively stepped up its missile and drone attacks this year, withnumbers increasingevery month since December, according to a monitoring group.

In a statement on July 13, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia had launched more than 1,800 drones, over 1,200 guided bombs, and 83 missiles of various types over the past week.

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The reduced intensity of Russian attacks came amid anticipation of Trump's statement.

Trump has grown increasingly critical of Russia in recent weeks, as it has rebuffed his efforts to secure a cease-fire.

We get a lot of bullshit from Putin. It's very nice most of the time but meaningless, Trump, who has spoken to Putin by phone six times since his inauguration on January 20,said on July 8.

He has also announced a resumption of weapon supplies to Ukraine, telling US broadcaster NBC that the United States is "sending weapons to NATO, and NATO is paying for those weapons...and then NATO is going to be giving those weapons" to Ukraine.

His talk of a major statement has led to speculation that he might announce support for new sanctions against Russia, which he has so far refrained from imposing, or pledge more military aid to Ukraine.

There were no immediate reports of casualties in the July 12-13 overnight strikes, but two people were reported injured by Russian shelling in Kherson, southern Ukraine.

The Russian attacks have regularly hit civilian targets including residential areas, hospitals, schools, and energy infrastructure.

"The Russians are intensifying terror against cities and communities in order to increasingly intimidate our people," Zelenskyy said in his July 13 statement.

Russia has also beenpressing forwardon the front lines -- albeit with massive casualties among its troops amid fierce Ukrainian resistance.