- Summary- Over 40 cities and towns hit by Russian strikes- Russian-installed governor urges Kherson residents to evacuate- Russian official warns of World War Three if Ukraine joins NATO- Mykolaiv town "massively bombed", local officials say- Iran-made drones used in attacks near Kyiv - governorKYIV/BRUSSELS, Oct 13 (Reuters) - Russian missiles have pounded dozens of Ukrainian cities and towns over the past 24 hours, while the head of one of the regions annexed by Russia told residents on Thursday to leave amid fighting between Russian and advancing Ukrainian forces.The official, Vladimir Saldo, asked for Moscow's help in transporting civilians into Russia, saying the cities in the region were subject to missile attacks."We are living in threatening, dangerous times," said German Defence Minister Christine Lambrecht at a signing ceremony where Germany and more than a dozen of European NATO members committed to jointly procuring weapons for a "European Sky Shield" to better protect their territory.Moscow has repeatedly justified the Feb. 24 invasion that has killed tens of thousands of people, in what it calls a "special operation", by saying Ukraine's ambitions to join the alliance posed a threat to Russia's security.Shortly after Russia's assault began Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy signalled he was willing to consider neutrality, but has since asked for fast-track membership, hours after Russian President Vladimir Putin proclaimed regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia as Russian land on Sept. 30. read moreIn the past 24 hours Russian missiles hit more than 40 settlements, while Ukrainian air force carried out 32 strikes on 25 Russian targets, Ukraine's Armed Forces General Staff said."