represent “indiscriminate attacks on innocent civilian populations (and) constitute a war crime," leaders of the powerful Group of Seven nations said in a joint statement Tuesday.

The leaders, in an emergency virtual meeting Tuesday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, pledged to provide his battered but unbowed nation with more financial support, weaponry and missile defense systems.

Zelenskyy urged the West to provide sufficient defensive systems for an "air shield" over Ukraine. He also urged tougher sanctions on Russia’s energy sector to stop the flow of money from its oil and gas exports.

The G-7 statement said the leaders reassured Zelenskyy they are “undeterred and steadfast" in the commitment to providing the support Ukraine needs to uphold its territorial integrity.

President Joe Biden has vowed to provide Ukraine with more air defense systems, a pledge echoed by the other six nations – Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United Kingdom.

LIFE BECAME SUFERING: Illustrated stories from the siege of Mariupol.

Other developments:

►Missile strikes hammered Ukraine cities for the third day in a row Tuesday. Ukraine said it intercepted about 20 of the Russian missiles.

►The U.N. human rights office says Russian missile strikes across Ukraine on Monday were “particularly shocking” and could amount to war crimes. 

►Japanese automaker Nissan Motor Co. says it is pulling out of Russia and plans to sell its operations to its Russian partner.