The Russian military hit 33 civilian sites during 24 hours of attacks by land, air and sea — and that does not include the many more military installations Russia targeted, Ukraine’s Interior Ministry reported. 

That has led some in Congress to call for stronger sanctions against Russia and sending more weapons to Ukraine to help the Eastern European country defend itself. 

“Frankly it was too little, too late,” said U.S. Rep. Don Bacon, R-NE, a member of the House Armed Services committee. “Russia is now a pariah state. Putin is a thug. We need to treat him that way.”

It’s unlikely U.S. troops will get involved in Ukraine as the situation intensifies, “but we should have given Ukraine what they needed to defend themselves and we did not,” Bacon said, adding that Ukraine needs aerial defense missiles and anti-ship weapons. 

“We don’t want to go to WWIII,” he continued. “But Putin hates us, he’s going to do everything he can to undermine us. We need to have a strategy that … treats him like the adversary he really is.” 

Air strikes and ground troop movements have been reported throughout the Eastern European country, but especially in the eastern separatist regions of Ukraine. Explosions have been heard from the center of the capital, Kyiv, about half a mile from the president’s headquarters.

Russia has captured Zmiinyi Island, on the edge of Ukrainian territorial waters in the Black Sea, and Chernobyl, the site of the largest nuclear disaster in world history.

Russian troops are advancing south, targeting the northeast city of Kharkiv. Heavy fighting is being reported in Ivankiv and Dymer, which is less than 50 miles north of Kyiv.

It’s unknown how many civilians have died during the invasion, but the ministry said 137 Ukrainian soldiers have died. 

Meanwhile, thousands of Ukrainians are fleeing as Russia pounds their capital and other cities with airstrikes for a second day on Friday. Cars are backed up for several kilometers at some border crossings, as authorities in Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania and Moldova mobilize to receive them, offering shelter, food and legal help.

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s decision to invade Ukraine is receiving widespread condemnation around the world. President Joe Biden imposed strict new sanctions against Russia and ordered the deployment of thousands of troops to Europe.

The Associated Press contributed.