Closing Summary
It is now slightly past 10pm in Kyiv. Here is a wrap up of the day’s key events:
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy delivered an impassioned speech at the Canadian parliament on Friday in which he thanked Canada’s military support to Ukraine, as well as hailed the historic and communal ties between the two countries. “You’re always on the bright side of history … I have no doubt that you will choose the side of freedom and justice,” he said.
Prime minister Justin Trudeau says Canada is going to make a longer-term, multi-year commitment that provides steady support for Ukraine, including money for 50 armoured vehicles. Canada will give an extra C$650m ($482m) in military aid to Ukraine over the next three years, Trudeau told the Canadian parliament.
A Russian missile strike on civilian infrastructure in Kremenchuk in the central Poltava region of Ukraine killed one person and injured 15 others, governor Dmytro Lunin said on Friday via Telegram. He said one child was among the injured and that Ukrainian air defences downed one of the missiles launched. These claims are yet to be independently verified.
The Russian deputy prime minister, Alexander Novak, held a meeting with Russian oil company managers on Friday to discuss the domestic fuel market, the government said. Russia temporarily banned exports of gasoline and diesel to all countries outside a circle of four ex-Soviet states with immediate effect, the government said on Thursday, without a specified end date.
US president Joe Biden has told his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskiy that the US will provide a small number of long-range missiles to help in Ukraine’s fight against Russia, three US officials and a congressional official told NBC News on Friday. The officials did not confirm when the missiles would be delivered and remain anonymous as they have not been authorised to speak on the subject publicly.
A Ukrainian air force spokesperson reportedly said that he had hoped the missile strike on the Russian Black Sea fleet HQ earlier on Friday had left a bigger hole in the building. Air force spokesperson, Yuriy Ignat, speaking on Ukrainian television, said that while he was pleased by the result of the strike, he had hoped the effects would be more dramatic. “I wanted a bigger hole to be honest,” he said.
Ukraine’s military said its forces had “successfully” struck the headquarters of Russia’s Black Sea navy in the Crimean port of Sevastopol on Friday. “On 22 September close to 12:00 (0900 GMT) Ukraine’s defence forces successfully struck the headquarters of the Russian Black Sea fleet command in the temporarily occupied Sevastopol,” Ukraine’s military said on Telegram.
That’s it from me, Maya Yang, as we wrap up the blog today. For the full story on Ukrainian president Volydymyr Zelenskiy’s visit to Canada, click here:
Here are some images of Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s visit to Canada:
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Volodymyr Zelenskiy hails historic ties and thanks Canada for its military support in parliamentary speech
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy delivered an impassioned speech at the Canadian parliament on Friday in which he thanked Canada’s military support to Ukraine, as well as hailed the historic and communal ties between the two countries.
In his speech, Zelenskiy accused Moscow of orchestrating genocide in Ukraine, saying, “Moscow, now as always, is bound on controlling Ukraine and makes use of all available means to do that, including genocide.”
He went on to hail Canada’s support towards Ukraine throughout the conflict, saying, “One of the most startling qualities of your country is that justice is not an empty word for Canada.”
“You’re always on the bright side of history … I have no doubt that you will choose the side of freedom and justice,” he added.
Zelenskiy also hailed Canada’s leadership in sanctions against Russia throughout the war and also thanked it for its “extremely strong 100% leadership support of the Ukrainian movement to Nato.”
Zelenskiy’s speech comes as Trudeau commits to training F16 pilots, as well as providing additional steady support to Ukraine including money for 50 armoured vehicles.
Trudeau also told the Canadian parliament that Canada will give an extra C$650m ($482m) in military aid to Ukraine over the next three years.
“Don’t give up, stay strong against all odds…Slava Ukraine,” Zelenskiy said in his closing remarks.
Zelenkiy’s address was met with standing ovation across the Canadian parliament as he shook hands with various MPs following his speech.
“Freedom will be the winner. Justice will be the winner. You can know this for sure about us because you know for sure about yourself that you would never submit to evil,” Zelenskiy said.
“Our common victory…[is]…with you, the people of Canada, with all your communities, with all your legacy,” he continued.
“The Ukrainian Canadian community is about millions of Ukrainian destinies that have become the destiny of Canada with all its diversity of communities,” Zelenskiy said.
“Can we give up? No. Can we betray the good in human nature? No. Can we agree to evil? No. Can we allow our identity to be erased? No,” he continued.
“Ukraine and Canada are the same. We stand and we fight for life. Ukraine, not genocide, will be victorious in this war. People will be the winners, not the Kremlin,” he added.
“Every deportation of every child, every adult, every life needs to be protected … and I urge you, Canada, to extend your ability to lead to other countries, especially in this matter of justice, of prosecuting the aggression, of compensation for aggression, of making the aggressor feel how strong justice is,” Zelenskiy said.
“I would like to thank you Canada for the purely human thing for making Ukrainians feel at home when they are here in Canada,” he added.
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“With talks with prime minister Justin [Trudeau], we discussed the Canadian initiative for the G7 to … confiscate Russian assets,” Zelenskiy said.
“Those funds that Russia and its henchmen used to pay for their war should be used to fairly compensate for the damage caused by the war on terror,” he continued.
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“Canada’s support for Ukraine with weapons and equipment has allowed us to save thousands of lives. This includes air defence systems, armoured vehicles, artillery shells,” Zelenskiy said.
“Canada’s leadership in sanctions against Russia for this war … really encouraged others in the world to follow your lead and I’m especially grateful for your extremely strong 100% leadership support of the Ukrainian movement to Nato,” he added.
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“Thank you very much for your political support for Ukraine,” said Zelenskiy.
“Because when you are fighting for something, when you are fighting for good in human nature, the false neutrality looks obviously immoral,” he continued.
“Thank you Canada for being a real example of leadership and honesty for so many around the world, an example that inspires others to defend life,” he added.
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“One of the most startling qualities of your country is that justice is not an empty word for Canada,” Zelenskiy said.
“Another extremely important fact about you is that you never, ever make a political bet on hatred and enmity,” he added.
“You’re always on the bright side of history … I have no doubt that you will choose the side of freedom and justice,” he continued.
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Zelenskiy says 'Moscow must lose once and for all' in address to Canadian parliament
“It is not just about an ordinary conflict, it is about saving lives of millions of people, literal physical salvation,” said Zelenskiy.
“Life and justice must prevail, everywhere in Ukraine and all Ukrainians. This Russian aggression must end with our victory,” he said.
“Russia will never bring back genocide to Ukraine and will never ever try to do so. Moscow must lose once and for all,” he continued.
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Justin Trudeau commits to training for F16 pilots
Justin Trudeau says Canada is going to make a longer-term, multi-year commitment that provides steady support for Ukraine, including money for 50 armoured vehicles.
Canada will give an extra C$650m ($482m) in military aid to Ukraine over the next three years, Trudeau told the Canadian parliament.
He says Canada will also send F-16 trainers for pilots and maintenance so Ukraine is able to maximise its use of donated fighter jets.
In August, Denmark and the Netherlands pledged to donate F-16s to Ukraine, fulfilling a longstanding wish by Ukraine that it says will help strengthen air defences and aid its counteroffensive against Russia’s 2022 invasion.
Norway’s prime minister, Jonas Gahr Støre, also has said his country would give Ukraine F-16s.
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Zelenskiy has started his address by highlighting the historic links between the Canadian city of Edmonton and Ukraine.
Edmonton was the first city to have the first monument dedicated to the victims of the Holodmor famine, he said.
He went on to link the current Russian invasion of Ukraine as genocide, saying: “Moscow, now as always, is bound on controlling Ukraine and makes use of all available means to do that, including genocide.”
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Ukrainian president Volydmyr Zelenskiy has started speaking in the Canadian parliament following an address from Canadian prime minister, Justin Trudeau.
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Trudeau continues:
What Putin has done is a break with civilisation. It is a violation of our common humanity.
It is an attempt to disassemble the rules-based order that protects our freedom. It is a move to weaken democracy and assert autocracy.
Putin governs with deception, violence and repression. He imprisons his own people and stirs up ugly sentiments of xenophobia and racism. But his imperial delusions in Ukraine have been met with a fierce defence.
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Canada’s prime minister, Justin Trudeau, said parliament is gathered at a “pivotal point in history” and at a time of “incredible uncertainty”.
He said:
Attacks upon the rules-based international order threaten to upend the peace and prosperity that have been the bedrock of Canada’s success.
This is a challenge on a generational scale, a challenge that history will judge us on.
A challenge we must confront with lionhearted courage and the world can find no better inspiration than our friend here with us in our house today president Volodymyr Zelenskiy and his wife, the first lady of Ukraine, Olena Zelenska.
Canada’s parliament responds with a rapturous round of applause.
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Summary of the day so far...
Here is a quick summary of today’s main developments:
Ukraine’s President, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, is about to address the Canadian parliament, where he is expected to ask for continued support for his country. He is on his first visit to Canada since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.
A Russian missile strike on civilian infrastructure in Kremenchuk in the central Poltava region of Ukraine killed one person and injured 15 others, governor Dmytro Lunin said on Friday on Telegram.
The US president, Joe Biden, has told his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, that the US will provide a small number of long-range missiles to help in Ukraine’s fight against Russia, NBC News was told on Friday.
At least one Ukrainian missile struck the headquarters of Russia’s Black Sea navy in the Crimean port of Sevastopol on Friday, Russian-installed officials said. Russia’s defence ministry said one serviceman was missing after the attack, revising its earlier statement that the man had been killed. Air defences had downed five missiles, the ministry said. Ukraine’s military confirmed it had attacked the Russian Black Sea fleet’s headquarters, but gave few details.
Ukraine’s prime minister, Denys Shmyhal, has said that Russia has restarted a campaign of aerial attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure, according to AFP.
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Volodymyr Zelenskiy is in place and is due to start his address to the Canadian parliament. We have a live feed at the top of the blog for you to watch it in full.
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Oleg Kryuchkov, an aide to Crimea’s head, Sergei Aksyonov, has said internet service providers on the peninsula were under an “unprecedented cyber-attack”, leading to interruptions in service.
Russia unilaterally annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014.
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Russian missile strike in Ukraine's Kremenchuk kills one and injures 15 – governor
A Russian missile strike on civilian infrastructure in Kremenchuk in the central Poltava region of Ukraine killed one person and injured 15 others, governor Dmytro Lunin said on Friday via Telegram.
He said one child was among the injured and that Ukrainian air defences downed one of the missiles launched. These claims are yet to be independently verified.
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Canada’s cybersecurity services have issued a warning to people running government and critical infrastructure websites, calling for them to “adopt a heightened state of vigilance”, the BBC cites the Canadian broadcaster CTV as reporting.
It comes as Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, is in Canada, where he said he would be talking to Justin Trudeau about defence cooperation and would sign treaties to strengthen economic ties.
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The Russian deputy prime minister, Alexander Novak, held a meeting with Russian oil company managers on Friday to discuss the domestic fuel market, the government said.
The absence of fuel shortages was noted at the meeting, Reuters reports.
Russia temporarily banned exports of gasoline and diesel to all countries outside a circle of four ex-Soviet states with immediate effect, the government said on Thursday, without a specified end date.
The move was intended to stabilise the domestic fuel market.
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Biden tells Zelenskiy that US will send Ukraine long-range missiles – reports
The US president, Joe Biden, has told his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, that the US will provide a small number of long-range missiles to help in Ukraine’s fight against Russia, three US officials and a congressional official told NBC News on Friday.
The officials did not confirm when the missiles would be delivered and remain anonymous as they have not been authorised to speak on the subject publicly.
A congressional official told NBC News that there was still a debate about the type of missile that would be sent and how many would be delivered to Ukraine.
The news comes after the White House rejected Zelenskiy’s request for Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) to be sent to Ukraine as part of a new military aid package to bolster the country’s counteroffensive.
Jake Sullivan, the national security adviser, told reporters on Thursday that Biden would not provide ATACMS, but that he had not taken it off the table.
ATACMS would allow Kyiv to hit targets from as far away as about 180 miles, striking supply lines, railways, and command and control locations behind the Russian frontlines, NBC News reports.
The Biden administration is close to deciding whether it will give Kyiv a version of ATACMS long-range missiles armed with cluster bomblets rather than a single warhead, the Washington Post has been told.
None of these reports have been independently verified.
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Volodymyr Zelenskiy is on his first visit to Canada since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022 (see earlier post at 14.00).
The Ukrainian president previously addressed the Canadian parliament virtually after the war started.
After their speeches to parliament on Friday, Zelenskiy and Canada’s prime minister, Justin Trudeau, are scheduled to go to Toronto to meet with the local Ukrainian community, the Associated Press reports.
Canada is home to about 1.4 million people of Ukrainian descent, close to 4% of the population.
Canada’s UN ambassador, Bob Rae, said it is important for Zelenskiy to see the extent to which Canada supports Ukraine in the war.
“We have done a lot to help him and we need to do more,” Rae said. “We’re going to continue to do everything we can to support the Ukrainian people.”
Canada has provided more than $8.9bn Canadian (US$6.6bn) in support to Ukraine; Trudeau’s office said Canada has provided $1.8bn Canadian (US$1.3bn) in military aid, including tanks, artillery, armored vehicles and ammunition.
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Ukrainian air force 'wanted a bigger hole' in Russian Black Sea fleet HQ - reports
A Ukrainian air force spokesperson reportedly said that he had hoped the missile strike on the Russian Black Sea fleet HQ earlier on Friday had left a bigger hole in the building.
The Kyiv Post reports:
Air force spokesperson, Yuriy Ignat, speaking on Ukrainian television, said that while he was pleased by the result of the strike, he had hoped the effects would be more dramatic.
“I wanted a bigger hole to be honest,” he said.
Referencing the UK and France-supplied Storm Shadow and Scalp cruise missiles used in the attack, he added: “This is the best advertisement in the world of our weapons, which fly exactly on target.
“For some reason, the Russian air defence cannot cope, for the umpteenth time. To be continued.” …
Ignat said the attack was carried out with the help of “Russian residents of Crimea” who provided Ukraine with information.
He added: “This is not only a blow to the heart of the naval forces of the Black Sea Fleet, this is a blow to the dictatorship of Putin. Everyone will see it. This cannot be hidden.
These claims have not been independently verified by The Guardian.
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Ukraine says it was behind missile strike on Russian Black Sea navy HQ
Ukraine’s military said its forces had “successfully” struck the headquarters of Russia’s Black Sea navy in the Crimean port of Sevastopol on Friday (see earlier post for more details at 13.41).
“On 22 September close to 12:00 (0900 GMT) Ukraine’s defence forces successfully struck the headquarters of the Russian Black Sea fleet command in the temporarily occupied Sevastopol,” Ukraine’s military said on Telegram.
It gave no further details and has so far not provided evidence to support this claim.
The Russian defence ministry initially said one service member was killed but then issued a subsequent statement saying he was missing after the attack in the port city.
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Here is some footage of the aftermath of the Ukrainian missile attack reported to have struck the headquarters of Russia’s Black Sea fleet in annexed Crimea on Friday.
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The EU’s external affairs commissioner, Josep Borrell, has called for greater defence cooperation and quicker decisions on the supply of weapons to Ukraine.
He also defended the progress of the counteroffensive, saying the country was one-third mined and it would have been suicidal for Ukraine to have mounted a full-frontal counterattack.
Asked if he believed Russia would try to fan the flames of migration, Borrell said: “Putin will try everything.”
He added:
Putin believes that democracies are weak, fragile, they get tired and time is running on his side, because sooner or later we will get exhausted.
And this is a political battle as much as a military battle. It has to be explained with arguments. Certainly, nobody likes to pay more for the electricity bills. I believe in democracy as a pedagogical exercise, and I believe that people understand the reasons.
You can read more of the wide-ranging interview with the EU’s most senior diplomat here:
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Here is how Tass in Russia is reporting the attack on Sevastopol on the Crimea peninsula. It writes:
The Ukrainian armed forces launched a missile attack on the headquarters of the Black Sea fleet. The debris from the missile attack on the headquarters is scattered over hundreds of metres. The civilian infrastructure around the Black Sea fleet headquarters and the people on the streets were not initially damaged after the missile strike, Mikhail Razvozhaev, governor of Sevastopol said. A fragment fell near the Sevastopol drama theatre named after Anatoly Lunacharsky.
In total, while repelling a missile attack, air defence systems shot down five missiles. One soldier is missing. Windows were broken in 10 residential buildings.
Employees of the Russian ministry of emergency situations are working on the spot. Law enforcement officers are asking local residents to leave the central streets of Sevastopol. The police cordoned off the territory of the Black Sea fleet headquarters within a radius of two blocks.
Razvozhaev warned of the possibility of a second attack. Subsequently, he announced the end of the air alert, but called on residents not to travel to the centre.
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In the last few minutes, AP has issued this photo which is taken from social media and purports to show smoke rising from the headquarters of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet in Sevastopol.
Russia unilaterally annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014.
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Vyacheslav Gladkov, governor of the Belgorod region in Russia, has reported on Telegram that the village of Terebreno came under cross-border fire from Ukraine. He reported no casualties.
Zelenskiy arrives in Canada to meet Trudeau
Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, is visiting Canada to meet Justin Trudeau and address the Canadian parliament in Ottawa.
Arrived in Canada.
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) September 22, 2023
I look forward to holding talks with @JustinTrudeau on defense cooperation, the Peace Formula, and other topics.
We will sign important bilateral documents that will strengthen our economic ties.
I am also going to meet with the Governor General of Canada,… pic.twitter.com/oqZvK2QVQN
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Serviceman missing after missile strike on HQ of Russia's Black Sea navy – defence ministry
One serviceman is missing after Ukraine carried out a missile strike on the main headquarters of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet, in Crimea, the Russian defence ministry said.
The ministry initially said one service member was killed but then issued a subsequent statement saying he was missing, the Associated Press reports.
The Russian-installed governor of Sevastopol, Mikhail Razvozhayev, said no one was injured outside the burning headquarters, and he didn’t provide information on other casualties.
Firefighters are reportedly battling the blaze with more emergency forces being brought in. These reports are yet to be independently verified.
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Hungary’s foreign minister, Peter Szijjarto, will meet his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, on the sidelines of the UN general assembly on Friday, he told the Hungarian public television channel M1.
Hungary has been a vocal critic of the EU’s sanctions on Russia, but so far supported all the agreed measures.
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Russia planning a huge defence spending boost - reports
Russia is planning a huge defence spending hike in 2024 which will comprise 6% of gross domestic product in 2024, up from 3.9% in 2023 and 2.7% in 2021, Bloomberg News reports.
Secret expenditure on classified or unspecified items is forecast to nearly double, according to the outlet.
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Edit: a correction issued by the AP news agency has clarified that a serviceman is missing at the navy HQ, and not killed as previously reported.
One serviceperson is missing after a Ukrainian missile attack on the Russian Black Sea navy headquarters in Sevastopol, Russia’s defence ministry said on Friday (see earlier post at 11.50 for more details).
The ministry said in a statement that air defences had downed five missiles aimed at Sevastopol, Reuters reports. These claims are yet to be independently verified.
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Russia sees tension between Poland and Ukraine growing in the future after a spat over grain exports, and expects further rifts to develop between Kyiv and its western allies, the Kremlin said on Friday.
The Kremlin spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, was commenting on Poland’s announcement this week that it would not send new arms deliveries to Ukraine.
“We see that there are frictions between Warsaw and Kyiv. We predict that these frictions will increase,” Peskov was quoted by Reuters as saying.
Poland has been one of Ukraine’s strongest backers in the war with Russia, but ties between the two countries have been strained by Poland’s decision to extend a ban on Ukrainian grain imports in order to protect its own farmers.
Peskov said it was “inevitable” that tension between Kyiv and other European capitals would increase over time.
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Russian-installed authorities said air defences downed another missile on Friday near the town of Bakhchysarai.
The head in Crimea, Sergei Aksyonov, said “cruise missiles” had been downed over the peninsula, Reuters reports.
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The Russian-installed governor of Sevastopol, Mikhail Razvozhayev, said there was no information about casualties from the reported missile strike on Russia’s Black Sea Fleet headquarters (see earlier post at 11.50).
He said firefighters were battling a blaze and more emergency forces were being brought in, the Associated Press reports.
A stream of ambulances was arriving at the fleet’s headquarters and shrapnel was scattered hundreds of metres around, the Tass news agency reported.
Razvozhayev initially warned Sevastopol residents that another attack was possible and urged them not to leave buildings or go to the city centre.
He later was cited as saying there was no longer an airstrike danger but reiterated calls not to go to the central part of the city.
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The Kremlin said it hoped Russia could once again become part of the Olympic community despite sanctions against Russian athletes over Moscow’s war in Ukraine, AFP reports.
The International Olympic Committee has recommended allowing athletes from Russia and Moscow’s ally Belarus to compete as individual neutrals at the 2024 Paris Olympics in the summer.
Speaking to the media, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said:
We hope that in the end reason will prevail, that the idea of Olympism will triumph and that we will again be reintegrated into the Olympic family.
“In the end, it’s the very idea of Olympism that will suffer, and is already suffering” from the restrictions, Peskov said.
Russia has said Moscow will not be boycotting the 2024 Games and every Russian athlete is free to choose whether or not to compete under a neutral banner.
Ukraine, however, has advocated against the participation of Russian athletes, arguing that sport cannot be separated from politics.
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Repression in Russia has soared since Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine last year, reaching levels not seen since Stalinist times, a top UN expert warned on Friday.
“The level of repression against the civil society independent media, and generally anybody with a dissenting voice … is unprecedented in recent history,” Mariana Katzarova told reporters in Geneva.
Presenting the findings of her first report, the UN special rapporteur on the rights situation in Russia lamented Moscow’s “enormous crackdown” on critics since launching its war in February 2022.
“Civic society in Russia has been closed by the authorities,” she told reporters, according to AFP.
She added that the “repression is very sophisticated”, with new laws presented almost every week “to stifle” any form of criticism or dissent.
Katzarova was last April appointed as the first UN-backed monitor of the rights situation in Russia, or in any of the five permanent security council member states.
Russia has refused to permit her access to its territory, or to even recognise her mandate, and refused to take part in a debate about her report at the UN human rights council this week.
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Ukraine has struck Black Sea navy HQ with missile - Russian official
At least one Ukrainian missile struck the headquarters of Russia’s Black Sea navy in the Crimean port of Sevastopol on Friday, causing a fire, local governor Mikhail Razvozhayev wrote on Telegram.
Razvozhayev said another strike was possible and urged people to avoid the city centre where the building is located. Firefighters were at the site, he said. These claims are yet to be independently verified.
Some Sevastopol residents said they heard explosions in the skies and saw smoke, Russian news outlets reported. Ukraine did not immediately claim responsibility for the attack.
Crimea, which Russia seized and annexed from Ukraine in 2014, has been a frequent target of Ukrainian attacks in the course of the 19-month war.
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Poland’s president has said a dispute with Ukraine over grain imports will not significantly impact positive diplomatic relations, Reuters reports.
Speaking at a business conference, Andrzej Duda said:
I have no doubt that the dispute over the supply of grain from Ukraine to the Polish market is an absolute fragment of the entire Polish-Ukrainian relations.
I don’t believe that it can have a significant impact on them, so we need to solve this matter between us.
Poland is one of Kyiv’s main weapons suppliers and has been one of the loudest cheerleaders for the Ukrainian cause since the full-scale invasion began in February 2022, but relations have soured over recent days amid the growing row over grain.
Slovakia, Poland and Hungary imposed national restrictions on Ukrainian grain imports after the EU executive decided not to extend its ban on imports into those countries and fellow bloc members Bulgaria and Romania.
The countries have argued that cheap Ukrainian agricultural goods – meant mainly to transit further west and to ports – get sold locally, harming their own farmers. The EU, which imposed its ban in May, let it expire on Friday after Ukraine vowed to tighten controls.
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The European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, has said another €1.5bn has been disbursed to Ukraine.
She tweeted:
Just this year, we paid €13.5bn to help Ukraine keep hospitals, schools and other services running.
This also helps Ukraine on its EU path by supporting transformative reforms. Europe remains firmly by Ukraine’s side.
Ukraine says Russian 'energy terror' has already begun ahead of winter
Ukraine’s prime minister, Denys Shmyhal, has said that Russia has restarted a campaign of aerial attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure, according to AFP.
During winter last year, Russian forces launched repeated attacks on Ukraine’s energy grid that left millions without electricity, heating and water for extended periods.
“We understand that the stage of energy terror in this heating season has already begun,” Shmyhal said at an economic forum in Kyiv, one day after Moscow’s forces were reported to have fired more than 40 cruise missiles at Ukraine.
“We see it in the first attacks on regional power substations in the last two weeks,” he said, according to the Interfax-Ukraine news agency.
The barrage last winter from Russian forces spurred Ukraine to bolster its air defence with support from its military allies in the West.
“We are much better prepared and stronger than we were last year. For sure, winter will be difficult,” Shmyhal said.
He added:
But we are better prepared for it, because we understand what the enemy is preparing for and what threats and challenges we all face.
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Summary of the day so far …
The Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, will speak to the Canadian parliament on Friday. Zelenskiy flew into Canada’s capital late Thursday after meetings with the US President, Joe Biden, and lawmakers in Washington. He spoke at the United Nations’ annual meeting Wednesday. Canada’s prime minister, Justin Trudeau, who also planned to speak to parliament on Friday, gave Zelenskiy a warm welcome on the tarmac at Ottawa’s airport.
Biden had assured Zelenskiy that strong US support for his war to repel Russian invaders would be maintained despite the Republican opposition. “Together with our partners and allies, the American people are determined to see to it to that [we do] all we can to ensure that the world stands with you,” Biden told him. The first US M1 Abrams tanks will arrive in Ukraine “next week,” Biden said.
A new US military aid package for Ukraine worth $325m will include air defence systems and the second tranche of cluster munitions fired by a 155mm Howitzer cannon, Reuters reported, citing a US official.
Oleksandr Prokudin, Ukraine’s governor of Kherson, has posted to Telegram to say that one person has died as a result of Russian military action in the region this morning.
Infrastucture minister Oleksandr Kubrakov has said that three new cargo ships are heading towards Ukrainian Black Sea ports for further food exports. The move comes as it was confirmed a second cargo vessel loaded with grain had departed from Ukraine’s Chornomorsk seaport. Agriculture ministry data published Friday shows that Ukrainian grain exports fell sharply year-on-year. Last September the UN and Turkey-brokered Black Sea grain initiative was in operation.
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The Kremlin spokseperson Dmitry Peskov has given his daily press call, and the topics have been quite wide-ranging today. He said:
Russia is alert to any threats from Poland, which he described as an aggressive country. He said Russia was aware of the tensions between Warsaw and Kyiv, and that they would increase. He argued that it was “inevitable that tensions would increase between Kyiv and other European capitals. He described Poland as not a comfortable neighbour for Belarus.
He said that Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, would talk soon, but there was no firm date set. Russia’s position on the Black Sea grain initiative had not changed, he added, saying Russia would return to it when western countries fulfilled their promises.
Peskov suggested that Russia would sue foreign governments if they imposed any kind of windfall tax on Russian businesses or frozen Russian assets.
Putin’s spokesperson also said Russia hopes common sense will prevail and Russian athletes can return to the Olympic movement.
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Belarus has said that it has begun five days of joint military drills with Russia, Reuters reports.
Russia’s ministry of defence has issued a statement on Telegram claiming to have foiled an attack on the Crimea peninsula, which Russia unilaterally annexed from Ukraine in 2014. It writes:
At about 10.30am Moscow time [8.30am BST], an attempt by the Kyiv regime to carry out a terrorist attack with aircraft guided missiles and UAVs on objects on the territory of the Russian Federation was stopped.
Duty air defence systems off the western coast of the Crimean peninsula discovered and destroyed one Ukrainian guided missile and two aircraft-type UAVs.
Reuters has a quick update on the grain shipping situation, noting that infrastucture minister Oleksandr Kubrakov has said that three new cargo ships are heading towards Ukrainian Black Sea ports for further food exports.
He said they are due to export “tons of agricultural products and iron ore for China, Egypt and Spain”.
He said the vessels were on the way to Chornomorsk and Pivdennyi seaports.
Agriculture ministry data published today shows that Ukrainian grain exports fell sharply year-on-year. Last September the UN and Turkey-brokered Black Sea grain initiative was in operation.
On his Telegram channel Volodymyr Zelenskiy has published a series of photographs from his trip to Washington, and written in praise of the American people. In his message, Ukraine’s president said:
These are different people: doctors and soldiers, politicians and businessmen, adults and children … Ukrainians, Americans. There isn’t a soul here who doesn’t care what happens to freedom. And there is not a single soul in Ukraine that does not feel gratitude to you, America.
To you – people who help us not because they should, but because your heart cannot allow you to do otherwise. This is humanity. This is what makes us Ukraine. This is what makes you America.
If America didn’t have such big hearted people, there wouldn’t be any freedom left in the world.
Ukraine’s foreign minister, Dmytro Kuleba, has posted a message on social media saying the Ukrainian delegation trip to the US has been successful. He wrote:
Together with Andriy Yermak and all of president Zelenskiy’s diplomatic team, we concluded another milestone visit that brought new defence agreements and resolve to fight for our shared freedom to victory. We keep working on other achievements in the interests of Ukraine and the world.
Together with @AndriyYermak and all of @ZelenskyyUA’s diplomatic team, we concluded another milestone visit that brought new defense agreements and resolve to fight for our shared freedom to victory. We keep working on other achievements in the interests of Ukraine and the world. pic.twitter.com/PLqyAgGJlk
— Dmytro Kuleba (@DmytroKuleba) September 22, 2023
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There are unconfirmed reports of further explosions being heard in Kherson.
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Oleksandr Prokudin, Ukraine’s governor of Kherson, has posted to Telegram to say that one person has died as a result of Russian military action in the region this morning. He wrote:
Kherson has been restless since the morning. The occupying forces set fire to residential quarters of the city. Fires broke out in a residential building and a garage due to the impact of enemy shells. As of this hour, two victims are known. Unfortunately, a 25-year-old man died from his injuries, another person was injured.
Kherson is one of the regions of Ukraine that Russia partially occupies and which the Russian Federation claims to have annexed.
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Ukraine’s infrastructure minister confirmed on Friday the departure of the second cargo vessel with grain from Ukraine’s Chornomorsk seaport.
The vessel Aroyat “left the port Chornomorsk after loading Ukrainian wheat for Egypt,” Reuters reports Oleksandr Kubrakov posted to social media.
This is the second bulk carrier that has entered the port of Chornomorsk “using the temporary corridor for civil shipping”, he said, adding that the first was Resilient Africa, with wheat bound for Asia.
Suspilne, citing the head of the local authority, reports that two people have been injured this morning after shells hit houses in the city of Kherson.
This is Martin Belam taking over the live blog in London. You can contact me at martin.belam@theguardian.com.
The first US M1 Abrams tanks will arrive in Ukraine “next week,” US president Joe Biden said on Thursday, boosting Kyiv’s forces as they battle Russian troops in a slow-moving counteroffensive.
“Next week, the first US Abrams tanks will be delivered in Ukraine,” Biden said at the White House, alongside his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who has concluded his second visit to the US since Russia invaded his country in February 2022.
Biden also said he had “approved the next tranche of security assistance for Ukraine,” which the Pentagon later valued at $325m.
It includes air defence missiles, ammunition for HIMARS precision rocket launchers, anti-tank weapons, and artillery rounds.
But the package does not feature the long-range ATACMS missiles that Kyiv has repeatedly requested.
It does include 155mm rounds that contain cluster munitions, which Washington first agreed to provide to Ukraine in July despite concerns over the long-term risk posed to civilians by bomblets that fail to explode.
The US said it has received assurances from Kyiv that it would minimize the risk the weapons pose to civilians, including by not using the munitions in populated areas.
Washington had promised the 31 Abrams tanks to Kyiv at the start of the year, part of more than $43bn in security assistance pledged over the past 18 months.
The tanks will be paired with 120mm armor-piercing depleted uranium rounds.
Such munitions are controversial due to their association with health problems, such as cancer and birth defects, in areas where they were used in past conflicts, although they have not been definitively proven to have caused them.
The decision to provide Abrams tanks to Ukraine represented a U-turn as American defence officials had repeatedly said they were ill-suited for Kyiv’s forces due to their complexity.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy will speak to the Canadian parliament on Friday as part of his campaign to bolster support from Western allies for Ukraine’s war against the Russian invasion.
Zelenskiy flew into Canada’s capital late Thursday after meetings with US president Joe Biden and lawmakers in Washington. He spoke at the United Nations’ annual meeting Wednesday.
Prime minister Justin Trudeau, who also planned to speak to parliament on Friday, gave Zelenskiy a warm welcome on the tarmac at Ottawa’s airport.
It is Zelenskiy’s first visit to Canada since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. He previously addressed the Canadian parliament virtually after the war started.
After their speeches, Zelenskiy and Trudeau are scheduled to go to Toronto to meet with the local Ukrainian community. Canada is home to about 1.4 million people of Ukrainian descent, close to 4% of the population.
Canada’s UN ambassador, Bob Rae, said it was important for Zelenskiy to see the extent to which Canada supports Ukraine in the war.
“We have done a lot to help him and we need to do more,” Rae said. “We’re going to continue to do everything we can to support the Ukrainian people.”
Canada has provided more than $8.9bn Canadian (US$6.6bn) in support to Ukraine in what Trudeau’s government calls the highest per-capita direct financial support to Ukraine in the Group of 7 industrial nations.
More than 175,000 Ukrainians have come to Canada since the war started and an additional 700,000 have received approval to come as part of an initiative that supports temporary relocation of those fleeing the war. The initiative allows for an open work permit for three years with pathways to permeant residency and citizenship.
Zelenskiy is facing questions in Washington about the flow of American dollars that for 19 months has helped keep his troops in the fight against Russian forces.
Ukrainian troops are struggling to take back territory that Russia gained over the past year. Their progress in the next month or so before the rains come and the ground turns to mud could be critical in rousing additional global support over the winter.
Zelenskiy made his first official visit to Canada in 2019.
🇺🇦🔱 President Zelensky and the first lady of Ukraine, arrived in Canada pic.twitter.com/tvUg0bx5jW
— Tracey SBU Fella 🇬🇧🇺🇦 #NAFO (@trajaykay) September 22, 2023
Zelenskiy has headed north. Reuters reports…
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy is visiting Canada, to meet with prime minister Justin Trudeau and address the Canadian parliament in Ottawa, Trudeau’s office said in a statement late on Thursday, after Zelenskiy’s US visit wrapped up.
“The prime minister, Justin Trudeau, today announced that the president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, will visit Canada, from September 21 to 22, 2023,” Trudeau’s office said.
Zelenskiy was in Washington on Thursday where he met US lawmakers and president Joe Biden, a day after addressing the U.N. Security Council in-person for the first time since the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
While in Canada, Zelenskiy will also visit Toronto to meet with Canadian business leaders to strengthen private-sector investment in Ukraine’s future, the Canadian prime minister’s office said.
“Canada remains unwavering in our support to the people of Ukraine as they fight for their sovereignty and their democracy, as well as our shared values like respect for the rule of law, freedom, and self-determination,” Trudeau said in a statement.
“I look forward to welcoming president Zelenskiy to Canada,” the Canadian prime minister said.
In June, Trudeau made an unannounced trip to war-torn Kyiv, where he paid his respects at a memorial to Ukrainian soldiers killed fighting pro-Russian forces since 2014, met Zelenskiy and addressed Ukraine’s parliament.
NATO member Canada, which has one of the world’s largest Ukrainian diasporas, has supplied military and financial assistance to Kyiv since Russia invaded in February 2022. It has also joined other Western allies in imposing sanctions on Russia over the invasion of Ukraine.
“Since the start of Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine, Canada has welcomed more than 175,000 Ukrainians,” Trudeau’s office said on Thursday.
Zelenskiy’s US and Canada visits come as Ukraine’s summer counteroffensive has hit stubborn Russian defenses, and colder, wetter weather will soon make many rural roads impassable for heavy vehicles.
This was a very important visit to Washington, D.C.
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) September 22, 2023
New military aid package. Long-term agreement on joint defense production. This historic step will create new industrial base and jobs for both of our nations.
My day began on Capitol Hill with candid and extensive… pic.twitter.com/Ro24E6k86D
Biden promised to support Ukraine “for as long as it takes”, making the argument (aimed at reluctant Republicans in Congress) that it is not only Ukrainian interests served by a defeat of Russia.
The United States' commitment to Ukraine will not weaken.
— President Biden (@POTUS) September 22, 2023
Putin may still wrongly believe that he can outlast Ukraine.
Putin may doubt our staying power.
He’s wrong.
We will stand for liberty and freedom today, tomorrow, and for as long as it takes. pic.twitter.com/k1m1BgggvT
The United States will continue to stand with the brave people of Ukraine.
— President Biden (@POTUS) September 21, 2023
It's not just an investment in Ukraine’s future.
But in a future where the entire world respects the principles of independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity.
Glad to have you back, Mr. President and Mrs. Zelenska. pic.twitter.com/TaRaLkiL8w
— President Biden (@POTUS) September 21, 2023
Two nations. One clear, firm, and unwavering message: We stand together.
— President Biden (@POTUS) September 21, 2023
Дві країни. Один чіткий, твердий і непохитний сигнал: ми разом. pic.twitter.com/d5VGFt8nJk
Volodymyr Zelenskiy secures $325m in new US aid
The support of the US was vital to Ukraine: “if we don’t get the aid, we will lose the war,” Zelenskiy was reported as saying.
The AP reports:
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy worked to shore up US support for Ukraine on a whirlwind visit to Washington on Thursday, delivering an upbeat message on the war’s progress while facing new questions about the flow of US dollars that for 19 months have helped keep his troops in the fight against Russian forces.
The Ukrainian leader received a far quieter reception than the hero’s welcome he was given last year from Congress, but also won generally favourable comments on the next round of US aid he says he needs to stave off defeat.
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Welcome and Summary
Hello and welcome to our continuing coverage of the war in Ukraine. Day 577.
The announcement of a new $325m US military aid package for Ukraine comes as officials in a town west of Donetsk near Ukraine’s eastern front says that 13 people were, including one pulled out from under rubble, in Russian strikes on Thursday evening.
First here’s the other main headlines from Ukraine on Friday:
Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, visited the US Capitol, Pentagon and the White House on Thursday. Zelenskiy’s visit to Washington was a much tougher one than the hero’s welcome he was given nine months ago, as some hardline Republicans are threatening to block US President Joe Biden’s request for a fresh $24bn aid package for Ukraine.
Zelenskiy told senators that military aid was crucial to Ukraine’s war effort, majority leader Chuck Schumer said after a briefing which took place behind closed doors. “If we don’t get the aid, we will lose the war,” Schumer quoted Zelenskiy as saying.
Biden assured Zelenskiy that strong US support for his war to repel Russian invaders would be maintained despite the Republican opposition. “Together with our partners and allies, the American people are determined to see to it to that [we do] all we can to ensure that the world stands with you,” Biden told him.
A new US military aid package for Ukraine worth $325m will include air defence systems and the second tranche of cluster munitions fired by a 155mm Howitzer cannon, Reuters reported, citing a US official.
