Closing summary
Here’s a recap of today’s developments:
Ukrainian cities from east to west were hit overnight in Russia’s largest wave of missile attacks in more than a month, as at least two were killed and dozens wounded on United Nations World Peace Day.
The Russian strikes, the biggest since 15 August, came a day after reports of sabotage at a Russian military airfield in Chkalovsk, near Moscow, and in the week Volodymyr Zelenskiy presented a Ukrainian “peace formula” to the UN general assembly summit in New York.
Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, visited the US Capitol, Pentagon and the White House. Zelenskiy’s visit to Washington was a much tougher one than the hero’s welcome he was given nine months ago, as Republicans proposed a stopgap bill that does not include funding for Ukraine.
President Zelenskiy, speaking at the start of talks with Joe Biden, said he looked forward to their discussions with a “special emphasis on air defense”. The US president is expected to announce a “significant” new military aid package worth $325m (£264m) but it will not include Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS).
Poland, one of Ukraine’s staunchest allies, has announced an end to its arms transfers to the country, a day after President Volodymyr Zelenskiy accused Warsaw of playing into Russia’s hands by banning Ukrainian grain imports. 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.
The UK’s Crown Prosecution Service authorised charges against five people suspected of spying for Russia. The three men and two women, aged between 29 and 45, are accused of “conspiring to collect information intended to be directly or indirectly useful to an enemy”, the CPS said.
A new US military aid package for Ukraine worth $325m will include air defense systems and the second tranche of cluster munitions fired by a 155mm Howitzer cannon, Reuters reported, citing a US official.
NBC shared a full list of the capabilities included in the package, ahead of the announcement expected later today.
AIM-9M missiles for air defense
Additional ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS)
Avenger air defense systems
.50 caliber machine guns to counter Unmanned Aerial Systems
155mm artillery rounds, including DPICM
105mm artillery rounds
Tube-Launched, Optically-Tracked, Wire-Guided (TOW) missiles
Javelin and AT-4 anti-armor systems
Over 3m rounds of small arms ammunition
59 light tactical vehicles
Demolitions munitions for obstacle clearing
Spare parts, maintenance, and other field equipment
Updated
US president Joe Biden, speaking at the Oval Office at the start of talks with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskiy, said the US remains committed to providing support in Kyiv’s efforts to defend itself against Russia’s invasion.
Addressing Zelenskiy directly, he said: “Your bravery has inspired the world,” and added that he was “determined to show” that “we stand with you”.
Zelenskiy 'looking forward to discussing air defence' in talks with Biden
Volodymyr Zelenskiy, in brief remarks before a White House meeting with Joe Biden, said he looked forward to a discussion “about everything, with a special emphasis on air defence”.
Asked if he was worried that Ukraine is losing Poland as a friend over the grain dispute, Zelenskiy said:
I want to thank the Polish people, Polish society for their support. That’s it.
“I look forward ... to our discussion for the benefit of our nations and the world. When it comes to weapons, we will discuss everything, with a special emphasis on air defense.”
— The Recount (@therecount) September 21, 2023
— Pres. Volodymyr Zelenskyy meets with Pres. Biden in the Oval Office to discuss aid to Ukraine pic.twitter.com/2fLC0mGczK
US House speaker Kevin McCarthy denied Volodymyr Zelenskiy a joint session of Congress, which would have given him the opportunity to deliver a speech and address everyone, CNN reported, citing a source.
McCarthy also avoided being seen with Zelenskiy publicly. He denied official photographers access to the room where House leaders met the Ukrainian president, the source added. But he took photos with Zelenskiy during a closed-door meeting, and a source shared with CNN photos from the room.
Updated
Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who is now holding a meeting with Joe Biden, told the US president that he looked forward to their discussions with a “special emphasis on air defense”, the Wall Street Journal’s Ken Thomas reports.
In the Oval Office meeting, Zelensky told Biden he looked forward to their discussions with a “special emphasis on air defense.” #ukraine pic.twitter.com/xZkcOFGY6k
— Ken Thomas (@KThomasDC) September 21, 2023
Volodymyr Zelenskiy has shared a video showing his visit to the Pentagon earlier today, where he met with US defence secretary Lloyd Austin, Gen Mark Milley, chair of the US joint chiefs of staff, as well as other officials.
The Ukrainian president said he thanked the US for its support during his meeting with Austin, and that the pair discussed US deliveries of artillery systems and long-range capabilities to Ukraine.
In a meeting with @SecDef Lloyd Austin, I thanked the U.S. for its crucial support.
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) September 21, 2023
We discussed deliveries of artillery systems and long-range capabilities, as well as strengthening air defense.
I invited the U.S. to take part in Ukraine’s upcoming Defense Industries Forum. pic.twitter.com/tKYWuMyoWZ
Biden and Zelenskiy meet at White House
The US president Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden welcomed their Ukrainian counterparts, Volodymyr Zelenskiy and Olena Zelenska, at the White House in Washington.
Asked by a journalist how important his visit was, the Ukrainian leader replied:
Very important.
Updated
The US will provide a new military aid package worth $325m (£264m), NBC News is reporting, citing two US officials.
The package will include more air defence and artillery capabilities to support Ukraine’s armed forces, Pentagon press secretary Pat Ryder said.
Ryder, briefing reporters, described the meeting between US defence secretary Lloyd Austin and Volodymyr Zelenskiy as “very warm” and “very engaging” and that the pair had a “great conversation”.
The US defence secretary, Lloyd Austin, greeted Ukraine’s president and first lady, Volodymyr Zelenskiy and Olena Zelenska, in the early afternoon at the Pentagon, where the Ukrainian leader also met Army Gen Mark Milley, chair of the US joint chiefs of staff.
Joe Biden’s decision not to provide Atacms missiles to Ukraine will disappoint Ukrainian officials, who had been “very optimistic” that the US president would approve the 300km-range missiles, the Financial Times’ Christopher Miller writes.
Ukraine wants Atacms to help its forces strike deep behind Russian lines to disrupt their supplies and demoralise the entrenched enemy troops.
In recent days, the Biden administration was reported to be moving towards approval of supplying the missiles. Volodymyr Zelenskiy told CNN on Tuesday that he was sure the negotiations were “on the finishing line”.
US officials have said in the past that the Pentagon has concerns over the inventory of Atacms for US defence needs and the White House wants to ensure it does not supply weapons that could be used to hit Russian territory, for fear of being seen by Moscow as a direct combatant.
Oof. Zelensky’s team was very optimistic about this and confident last week that Biden would approve the ATACMs. https://t.co/XhcxuY1NSx
— Christopher Miller (@ChristopherJM) September 21, 2023
Biden to announce 'significant' air defense capabilities for Ukraine
The latest package of US military aid package for Ukraine, to be announced by President Joe Biden today, will include “significant” air defense capabilities to help Ukraine protect its people, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said.
These capabilities will help Ukraine’s defenses “ahead of what is likely to be a tough winter” with renewed Russian attacks on Ukrainian critical infrastructure in an attempt to “deprive innocent people of necessities like heat and electricity”, he told reporters.
The package the president will announce today will also include weapons and equipment to help Ukraine maintain its momentum in the counter offensive. That includes additional ammunition for US provided HIMARS systems, anti armor capabilities, artillery ammunition and more DPICMS.
Updated
Here’s more from White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan’s briefing, where he spoke to reporters ahead of a meeting between President Joe Biden and President Volodymyr Zelenskiy this afternoon.
The US leader will “emphasise the continued need for the American people to step up and support Ukraine as they battle on the frontlines of the free world”, Sullivan said.
Thursday’s meeting with be the sixth in person meeting between the US and Ukrainian presidents, and it is Zelenskiy’s third visit to the White House during the Biden administration.
Sullivan said the pair have talked “many times” “by phone and on video” since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, and that Ukrainian and US officials are in “constant daily communication”.
US will not provide ATACMS missile but 'has not taken it off table' - White House
The US will not be providing Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) as part of a new military aid package to Ukraine, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said.
Sullivan, briefing reporters, said President Joe Biden will announce a new package on Thursday that will include air defense systems and other weaponry to help Kyiv ahead of a tough winter.
The US leader is “constantly speaking” to his military and European counterparts, as well as to the Ukrainian themselves, about “what is needed on the battlefield at any given phase of the war”, Sullivan said.
He has determined that he would not provide ATACMS, but he has also not taken it off the table in the future.
Volodymyr Zelenskiy said he discussed the battlefield situation and Ukraine’s priority needs, including air defense, during his meeting with US lawmakers in Washington today.
Posting to X, formerly known as Twitter, the Ukrainian president said Kyiv is “sincerely grateful” for US support and that it “can clearly see that victory is getting closer”. He wrote:
I emphasized that a Ukrainian victory will ensure that neither Russia nor any other dictatorship destabilizes the free world again. To win, we must all stand together and work together.
I met with US House Speaker @SpeakerMcCarthy, House Majority Leader @SteveScalise, House Democratic Leader @RepJeffries, and US House Representatives.
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) September 21, 2023
Ukraine is sincerely grateful to the House, both parties, and the entire American people for all the support.
We have… pic.twitter.com/uCbZEUtCNJ
Updated
Summary
Here’s a roundup of the key developments of the day so far:
Volodymyr Zelenskiy visited the US capitol. He met with leaders of the Republican-led House of Representatives and House national security committees, before a private session with the full US Senate. Asked how the meeting went, Zelenskiy told reporters that they had a “great dialogue”.
Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer spoke to reporters after Volodymyr Zelenskiy met with senators and said: “There was a single sentence that summed it all up, and I’m quoting him verbatim, Mr Zelenskiy said: ‘If we don’t get the aid we will lose the war.’”
The Ukrainian president continued his whirlwind tour of Washington with a visit to the Pentagon. He will shortly be arriving at the White House for a meeting with Joe Biden.
Poland said it will no longer arm Ukraine and instead focus on its own defence, as the two allies clashed at a key moment in Kyiv’s fightback against the invasion by Russia. Kyiv said it would hold talks with Warsaw in the coming days over an escalating dispute on Ukrainian grain exports, as the neighbours reiterated their “close” ties.
Former European Council president Donald Tusk accused Poland’s government of “stabbing a political knife in Ukraine’s back” for electoral purposes ahead of Poland’s October poll.
At least two people were killed in the biggest Russian strikes on Ukraine since 15 August. The massive Russian attack hit at least six cities across Ukraine and wounded at least 21. The attack, carried out on the International Day of Peace, coincided with the United Nations general assembly summit in New York, where Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy had delivered a speech and presented a Ukrainian “peace formula”.
The strikes damaged energy infrastructure in central and western Ukraine, Ukrainian national grid operator Ukrenergo said. It said on the Telegram messaging app that the attacks caused electricity shutdowns in five regions – Kyiv, Zhytomyr, Dnipropetrovsk, Rivne, and Kharkiv.
Gen Valerii Zaluzhnyi said on the Telegram messaging app that the Russian missiles were launched in several waves from 10 Russian warplanes, and that Ukrainian air defences shot down 36 out of 43 missiles launched.
A Ukrainian intelligence source has claimed to Reuters that Ukraine’s security service and navy struck the Saky airbase in Russian-occupied Crimea overnight, inflicting “serious damage”. Earlier, Russia’s defence ministry said it had shot down 19 drones over Crimea and the Black Sea. Russia unilaterally annexed Crimea in 2014.
I’m handing over to my colleague Léonie Chao-Fong now.
Updated
Joe Biden will announce a new military aid package for Ukraine that will include air defense systems and other weaponry to help Kyiv ahead of a tough winter, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said.
Sullivan, briefing reporters, said the timing of the package coincided with the White House visit by Ukraine President Volodomyr Zelenskiy.
Five Bulgarians living in the UK have been charged by the Crown Prosecution Service, accused of being engaged in a conspiracy to spy for Russia between August 2020 and February this year.
The three men and two women, aged between 29 and 45, are, the CPS said, accused of “conspiring to collect information intended to be directly or indirectly useful to an enemy”.
Orlin Roussev, 45, from Great Yarmouth, Norfolk; Bizer Dzhambazov, 41, and Katrin Ivanova, 31, both from Harrow, west London, will now appear in Westminster magistrates court on 26 September for an initial hearing.
They will be joined by Ivan Stoyanov, 31, from Greenford, west London, and Vanya Gaberova, 29, from Churchway, north-west London. All five have been charged with offences contrary to section 1 of the Criminal Law Act 1977.
Roussev, Dzhambazov and Ivanova were previously charged with “possession of false identity documents with improper intention” in February contrary – news of which emerged in August.
Prosecutions for espionage in British courts are very rare, with cases of spying by foreign nationals often dealt with through expulsions. However, relations between the UK and Russia have deteriorated sharply following Moscow’s decision to launch the unprovoked invasion of Ukraine in February last year.
There have been a number of high-profile Russian plots in recent years, including the murder in 2006 of the Russian dissident Alexander Litvinenko and the attempted murder in 2018 of the Russian defector Sergei Skripal.
Read the full story here:
Volodymyr Zelenskiy is finding his latest visit to Washington a much tougher occasion than the hero’s welcome he was given nine months ago.
Zelenskiy was given a standing ovation when he delivered an address to a joint sitting of Congress in December. This time, he addressed the Senate in a closed session, but House Republicans turned down a request to address both chambers again. They are also reported to have turned down an administration briefing on Ukraine.
Zelenskiy arrived on Capitol Hill in the midst of a bitter spending battle that could trigger a government shutdown, and he faced difficult conversations when he met congressional leaders behind closed doors. Republicans have proposed a stopgap bill that does not include funding for Ukraine, an omission that the Senate majority leader, Chuck Schumer, called “an insult to Ukraine and a gift to Putin”.
“I cannot think of a worse welcome for Zelenskiy,” Schumer said.
The Republican leadership in the Senate is broadly pro-Ukrainian, but the party is more divided in the House, where the speaker, Kevin McCarthy, faces a restive group on the right hostile to military support for Kyiv. McCarthy made clear to his party that he would approach Biden’s pending request for an additional $24bn in support for Ukraine with considerable scepticism.
“Is Zelenskiy elected to Congress? Is he our president? I don’t think I have to commit anything and I think I have questions for him,” McCarthy told ABC News.
“Where’s the accountability on the money we’ve already spent? What is the plan for victory? I think that’s what the American public wants to know,” McCarthy added.
Democrats too said they would have questions if the Ukrainian delegation came with requests for drone technology. Party leaders are wary of providing weapon systems that could be used to strike Russian territory, and congressional sources say Zelenskiy will be quizzed on Kyiv’s role in recent strikes on Moscow and other targets deep within Russia.
After his visit to the Hill, Zelenskiy was scheduled to cross the Potomac to the Pentagon for a meeting with the defence secretary, Lloyd Austin, and the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, Gen Mark Milley.
Then in mid-afternoon, he is due at the White House to meet Joe Biden. The US president is expected to announce a new $325m military aid package on the occasion of the visit, but the package will reportedly not include the 300km-range Atacms missiles Ukraine has been asking for.
Read more here:
Updated
Bulgaria has expelled the head of the Russian Orthodox Church in Sofia and two Belarusian priests for allegedly acting in Moscow’s geopolitical interests, its authorities said on Thursday, AFP reports.
Bulgaria’s National Security Agency accused the three clerics of implementing Moscow’s “hybrid strategy to purposefully influence the sociopolitical processes in Bulgaria in favour of Russian geopolitical interests”.
The agency, which only identified the men by their initials and nationalities, banned them from entering the country for five years.
The Russian embassy in Sofia said in a Facebook post that one of the men was the representative of the Russian Orthodox Church in Sofia, Archimandrite Vassian.
The post said:
The current Bulgarian leadership has set itself the task of destroying … the sociopolitical, cultural and humanitarian ties between our states.
The Facebook post described the decision as “rude [and] flagrant”.
A member of the EU and Nato, Bulgaria is a Slavic and Orthodox country with close historical and cultural ties to Russia. Relations, however, have been strained since Russia launched its war against Ukraine, with Sofia expelling 70 Russian diplomatic staff last year.
Updated
'If we don't get aid we'll lose the war', Zelenskiy tells senators
Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer spoke to reporters after Volodymyr Zelenskiy met with senators and said:
There was a single sentence that summed it all up, and I’m quoting him verbatim, Mr Zelenskiy said: ‘If we don’t get the aid we will lose the war.’
Joe Biden is due to welcome the Ukrainian president following his visit to the Pentagon.
The two leaders are expected to discuss additional US aid and funding that could be given to Ukraine.
Updated
Volodymyr Zelenskiy has now arrived at the Pentagon.
He was greeted by the US defence secretary, Lloyd Austin.
Updated
The Ukrainian president was seen shaking hands following a meeting with senators from both parties.
After he emerged from the Old Senate Chamber where the meeting took place, he walked back through the corridor, flanked by Chuck Schumer and Mitch McConnell.
Asked how the meeting went, Zelenskiy told reporters that they had a “great dialogue”.
Updated
Jake Sherman of Punchbowl News reports that the Republican speaker, Kevin McCarthy, was non-committal about the aid package the government wants to give Ukraine following his meeting with Volodymyr Zelenskiy.
NEW — After meeting w ZELENSKY, MCCARTHY says the Ukrainian leader answered a lot of his questions about the direction the war.
— Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) September 21, 2023
BUT — McCarthy was non committal about the aid package the administration is requesting.
Updated
One of Ukraine’s staunchest allies has announced an end to its arms transfers to the country, a day after Volodymyr Zelenskiy accused Warsaw of playing into Russia’s hands by banning Ukrainian grain imports. 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.
Read more here:
Updated
House foreign affairs chairman Michael McCaul told reporters Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s message for House lawmakers Thursday was “that he’s winning”.
McCaul stressed: “The majority of the majority support this,” but said there had to be confidence in a clear strategy for victory for Ukraine.
He said:
War of attrition is not going to win this. That’s what Putin wants. He wants to break the will of the American people and the Europeans.
Updated
Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, will not be speaking in a joint session of Congress like he did in December.
Speaker Kevin McCarthy said this morning he turned down a request from Zelenskiy to address a joint session of Congress, NBC reports.
McCarthy said that there wasn’t enough time for a joint address given the busy legislative week and said what they are doing for Zelenskiy – a meeting with members – is the same as what they did for the prime ministers of the UK and Italy on recent visits.
Plus, McCarthy said, Zelenskiy had already addressed Congress.
The refusal was first reported by Punchbowl.
Updated
Zelenskiy on Capitol Hill as he bids for more support from the US
Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, is now on Capitol Hill, where he will press lawmakers to approve more aid to help his military fight off the Russian invasion.
Here he is arriving at the Capitol, accompanied by Democratic House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries:
Zelensky arrives on Capitol Hill to meet with Congress pic.twitter.com/gMKPy0cAZG
— Howard Mortman (@HowardMortman) September 21, 2023
Later on, Punchbowl News saw him with the Senate’s Democratic majority leader Chuck Schumer, and top Republican Mitch McConnell:
Zelensky. Schumer. McConnell. pic.twitter.com/bK1rF3nc51
— Andrew Desiderio (@AndrewDesiderio) September 21, 2023
According to Politico, all senators are invited to hear him talk, while House members will need to be invited by Jeffries or Republican speaker Kevin McCarthy, who has expressed resistance towards Zelenskiy’s demands for more help.
Updated
The first grain ship to sail from Ukraine since Russia reimposed its Black Sea blockade in July reached Istanbul on Thursday, marine traffic monitors said.
Ukrainian officials said the Palau-flagged Resilient Africa vessel was carrying 3,000 tonnes of wheat when it left Ukraine’s Chornomorsk port on Tuesday, AFP reports.
It was destined for Israel, according to marine traffic websites, representing the first successful Black Sea voyage since Russia pulled out of a UN-backed deal to export Ukrainian grain.
Ukraine is testing a new sea route that avoids international waters and follows those controlled by Nato members Bulgaria and Romania.
It had earlier successfully sent several cargo ships along that route that were not carrying Ukrainian grain.
These voyages became safer after Russia was forced to pull back its warships following a series of successful Ukrainian missile strikes on the Kremlin-controlled peninsula of Crimea, where Moscow’s Black Sea fleet is based.
Russia also stepped up attacks on Ukraine’s Black Sea port infrastructure after abandoning the grain deal.
Updated
Kevin McCarthy, the Republican speaker of the House of Representatives, has spoken to the media after Ukraine’s president met with congressional leaders in the US Capitol.
He said that he had asked Volodymyr Zelenskiy “what do you need?”, and that Ukraine’s president said they needed air cover, and the kind of long-range artillery that could hit the Russians occupying Crimea.
McCarthy said, from the descriptions that Zelenskiy had given him of battle conditions, that “we wouldn’t send our [US] troops in under those conditions” without the provision of greater air cover.
He said that the US and Ukraine could not afford the situation to become a war of attrition, saying Putin wanted to break the will of the Amercian people and the Europeans, and they could not let that happen.
He expressed some frustration with the Biden administration, saying they needed to see a plan for victory, accountability, but told reporters he believed he could get Republicans sceptical about more aid and supplies for Ukraine on side.
Updated
Shaun Walker in Warsaw offers this analysis for the Guardian on that deterioration in the relationship between Poland and Ukraine:
To hear the Polish president compare Ukraine to a drowning person and the Ukrainian president describe Poland as acting in Moscow’s interests will come as a shock to many.
Poland was one of the few western countries that had an ambassador who stayed in Kyiv through the first days of the Russian invasion, and its president, Andrzej Duda, has been a frequent visitor to the Ukrainian capital.
Poland welcomed more than 2 million refugees in the first weeks of the war and millions of Polish people helped out with housing and other volunteer support for displaced Ukrainians.
This all makes the intensity of the rhetoric in the rift over grain imports harder to understand, but it may have more to do with internal politics in Poland than with real issues between the two capitals.
Polls suggest parliamentary elections on 15 October will be an extremely close-run race, and the ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party is looking for boosts to its support wherever possible.
“This is primarily about the election and the motives are quite clear,” said Wojciech Przybylski, the editor-in-chief of the journal Visegrad Insight. PiS is hoping to “flex a muscle with their key electoral groups”, he added, including those involved in agriculture in the east of Poland, who have been most affected by the influx of Ukrainian grain.
The nationalist PiS party is also facing a challenge from the far-right Konfederecja party, which advocates for less help to Ukraine and focusing on Poland’s internal issues. “There has been a persistent motif in government communications since May, with PiS seeking support among nationalist and anti-Ukrainian voters,” said Przybylski.
Read more of Shaun Walker’s analysis here: Poland’s ruling party pivots away from Ukraine in attempt to shore up votes
Some very strong words from former European Council president Donald Tusk. He has accused Poland’s government of “stabbing a political knife in Ukraine’s back” for electoral purposes ahead of Poland’s October poll.
Sky News quotes him saying at a news conference in Kalisz that the Polish government “have jeopardised our interests, gave away almost all weapons that could be useful on the front and in the end they are ruining this investment in relations. This is completely unacceptable.
“The worst thing is that today this escalation, if it continues, both sides – Kyiv and Warsaw – are close to wasting what was a great opportunity for the entire region, for Poland and Ukraine – Polish-Ukrainian solidarity against Russian aggression, help for Ukraine to win the war with Russia, Polish-Ukrainian friendship and a rational, assertive policy when it comes to the burdens we bear.”
Here are some more images that have been released of Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, at the US Capitol in Washington.
Updated
Suspilne reports, citing local authorities, that one person has been killed and two injured in Bilozerka in Kherson region.
It reports that, according to the regional military administration, “since the beginning of the day, five people have been killed and ten more injured due to Russian attacks.”
Here is another image from Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s visit to the US Capitol today. A framed flag signed by frontline Ukrainian fighters in Bakhmut and presented to the US Congress in 2022 is sitting at one end of the table where private meetings between Zelenskiy and congressional leaders will take place.
UK prosecutors authorise charges against five people suspected of spying for Russia
The UK’s Crown Prosecution Service has authorised charges against five people suspected of spying for Russia.
The three men and two women, aged between 29 and 45, are accused of “conspiring to collect information intended to be directly or indirectly useful to an enemy”, the CPS said.
Nick Price, the head of the CPS’s special crime and counter-terrorism division, said: “The CPS has authorised a charge of conspiracy to conduct espionage against three men and two women suspected of spying for Russia.
They are all due to appear at Westminster magistrates court on 26 September.
Read more here: UK prosecutors authorise charges against five people suspected of spying for Russia
Volodymyr Zelenskiy has arrived at the US capitol
Volodymyr Zelenskiy has arrived at the US capitol. Zelenskiy will meet with leaders of the Republican-led House of Representatives and House national security committees, before a private session with the full US Senate.
He is also scheduled to give an address in the evening at the National Archives museum.
Updated
Russia’s government has announced it was temporarily limiting exports of petrol and diesel fuel to avoid shortages on the domestic market, AFP reports.
The exchange price of domestic petrol soared to a record high this week, in part due to a weaker ruble, rising global oil prices and repair work at refineries curbing supplies.
The announcement comes weeks after Moscow decided to extend a voluntary cut of oil exports until the end of the year in a coordinated move with Saudi Arabia aimed at propping up global crude prices.
The government said:
The government introduced a temporary restriction on exports of motor gasoline and diesel fuel to stabilise the domestic market.
The decision was made to stabilise fuel prices on the domestic market,” it said, without specifying what kind of measures would be introduced.
It said the restrictions would help “saturate the fuel market” and lower prices at the pump.
Farmers in some regions have been unable to harvest grain due to a shortage of fuel needed for agricultural machinery, local media outlets have reported.
The rising fuel prices come as Russia’s central bank warns economic growth is set to slow down in the second half of 2023, with inflation above the bank’s target of 4%.
Russian officials have largely shrugged off the economic effects of Moscow’s dragging offensive in Ukraine, despite persistently high inflation and a weaker ruble.
The Brazilian president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who has pitched himself as a potential peacebroker between Moscow and Kyiv, has sat down with Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, for their first face-to-face meeting.
Lula’s refusal to take sides in the war has irked some western governments and meant his relationship with Zelenskiy has been an uneasy one.
But on Wednesday, Ukrainian and Brazilian diplomats described the meeting on the sidelines of the UN general assembly in New York as relaxed and productive.
A portrait of the two leaders suggested a distinctly stiff atmosphere. But Ukraine’s foreign minister, Dmytro Kuleba, insisted the “ice-breaking” encounter had been “very warm and honest”. In a slip of the tongue, Kuleba called Lula “President Putin”. Brazil’s foreign minister, Mauro Vieria, said the pair had enjoyed a long and friendly discussion.
Lula told reporters he had urged Ukraine’s president to seek a negotiated peace, “so that never again was there a territorial occupation such as the one Russia has done”.
With peace talks, “there are no victims, there are no deaths, there is no gunfire,” Lula added, urging both sides to make concessions.
Lula said:
I know it’s difficult, both for him [Zelenskiy] and Putin ... but I think this is the only path towards finding a solution. The path of dialogue, of peace, of conversation. Nobody is going to get 100% in a war. Noone can win everything.
Updated
Volodymyr Zelenskiy will be seeking fresh aid to fight Russian invaders despite signs of war fatigue among US lawmakers during his visit in Washington.
After another overnight wave of deadly missile attacks on his country, Zelenskiy said on social media early Thursday that he and his wife had “arrived in Washington, DC” and that air defenses were among his top priorities in the US capital.
His most crucial meeting is likely to be with leaders of the Republican and Democratic parties at the US Congress, where a new multibillion-dollar aid package for Kyiv is at risk of being blocked. He is due to visit Congress at 9am local time (2pm BST)
He is also set to meet at the White House for talks with Joe Biden and will later visit the Pentagon.
The White House said the Ukrainian leader’s visit came at a “really critical time” as Ukraine’s slow-moving counteroffensive against Russian forces grinds forward into fall.
Biden is “looking forward to getting a battlefield perspective directly from Ukraine’s commander in chief,” National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said.
Ukraine said it had struck a military airfield on the Russia-annexed Crimean peninsula, the latest claimed attack on the Black Sea territory Kyiv has vowed to recapture, AFP reports.
The army’s communication department said in a statement on social media:
On the night of September 21, the Defense Forces of Ukraine launched a combined attack on a military airfield of the occupiers near the city of Saky in the temporarily occupied Crimea.
A source in Ukraine’s SBU security service whose forces were involved in the attack said that there were at least a dozen warplanes and Pantsir missile defence system at the airfield at the time of the attack.
A source in Ukraine’s SBU security service whose forces were involved in the attack said that there were at least a dozen warplanes and Pantsir missile defence systems at the airfield at the time of the attack.
The airfield also housed a training centre for operators of drones that Russia uses to target Ukraine, the source said, adding that the strikes had “inflicted serious damage to the equipment of the occupiers”.
The SBU source said Ukraine had used drones that had “overwhelmed Russian air defenses” and then launched Neptune cruise missiles.
The source added:
The occupiers cannot feel safe in the occupied peninsula.
Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014. Kyiv has vowed to take back the peninsula.
Zelenskiy arrives in Washington for talks with Biden
Volodymyr Zelenskiy has arrived in Washington to hold talks on securing more US weapons, saying “air defence” is Kyiv’s priority, as Moscow hit Ukraine with another barrage of missiles.
The Ukrainian president is set to hold talks with Joe Biden on his second visit to the US during the Russian invasion. Russia hit cities across Ukraine with a barrage of missiles ahead of the talks.
He said on Telegram as he arrived from New York:
Today there are important negotiations in Washington. Air defence for Ukraine is among the top issues.
More air defence, more support for Ukrainian soldiers on the front lines.
Zelenskiy slammed Moscow’s “massive” overnight attack which killed several people in the southern city of Kherson and wounded many in various regions.
He thanked those countries that had “provided Ukraine with anti-missile systems”.
He said:
Most of the missiles were shot down. But only the majority. Not all.
We are working to completely rid Russia of its terrorist potential,” he added. “We have to come to this result.
His visit to Washington is set to involve some difficult conversations:
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Ukraine hit with largest wave of Russian missiles since mid-August
Ukrainian cities from east to west were hit overnight in Russia’s largest wave of missile attacks in more than a month, as at least two were killed and dozens wounded on United Nations World Peace Day.
The strikes, the biggest since 15 August, came a day after reports of sabotage at a Russian military airfield in Chkalovsk, near Moscow, and in the week the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, presented a Ukrainian “peace formula” to the UN general assembly summit in New York.
The Ukrainian army chief, Gen Valerii Zaluzhnyi, said Ukraine’s air defence successfully shot down 36 out of 43 Russian cruise missiles launched from 10 warplanes in multiple waves.
Twenty of those were shot down over Kyiv, according to Sergiy Popko, the head of the city’s military administration, who said they were of the X-101/555/55 type launched from Tu-95MS strategic aircraft.
Falling debris in the city however resulted in damage to buildings and a fire at a service station in the Darnytskyi district, where seven people were injured, including a nine-year-old girl and an 18-year-old woman who were taken to city hospitals. Four others received treatment at the scene, as confirmed by the mayor of Kyiv, Vitali Klitschko. Additionally, in the southern city of Kherson, two men aged 29 and 41 were killed in an attack on a dormitory. Four others, including a 61-year-old woman in serious condition, were admitted to hospital.
Kharkiv also experienced several strikes, damaging civilian infrastructure, and injuring two individuals, according to the regional governor, Oleh Syniehubov. In Lviv, an industrial area was hit, resulting in building damage and a fire.
Read the full story here:
A US official who recently visited Poland dismissed suggestions that Mateusz Morawiecki’s comments were a sign of cracks in Western solidarity with Ukraine.
The official, who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity about the Polish prime minister’s comments, said:
We’re all human and there are moments of tension... But that doesn’t mean that there’s going to be some dramatic shift in alliance unity or even Poland’s fundamental position and determination to support Ukraine for as long as it takes.
Poland holds a parliamentary election on 15 October, and the ruling nationalist Law and Justice (PiS) party has come in for criticism from the far right for what it says is the government’s subservient attitude to Ukraine.
The Confederation party, which has given voice to anti-Ukrainian sentiments, is third in many polls and has emerged as a possible kingmaker.
Analysts say PiS’s tougher rhetoric on Ukraine is a response to Confederation’s increasing popularity
Marek Swierczynski, a defence analyst at think-tank Polityka Insight said that while it was probably true that Poland currently had no more weapons to give to Ukraine, Morawiecki must have known that the timing of his comments meant they would land “like a grenade into a cesspit”.
He said:
In my opinion it is more of an escalation of the campaign... to gain a few percent more of the anti-Ukrainian electorate in Poland.
Kyiv-Warsaw talks 'set for coming days' after Poland says it will stop sending weapons
Here’s more from AFP on the ongoing dispute between Ukraine and Poland over grain exports:
Kyiv said it would hold talks with Warsaw in the coming days over an escalating dispute on Ukrainian grain exports, as the neighbours reiterated their “close” ties.
Poland – which holds parliamentary elections next month – has extended an embargo on Ukrainian grain, going against a European Commission decision to end the restrictions.
The issue has led to a diplomatic spat between the allies during the Russian invasion.
Kyiv’s agriculture ministry said in a statement:
The next negotiations will take place in the coming days, during which the issues prepared by both sides will be discussed.
It said Ukrainian agriculture minister Mykola Solsky held a telephone conversation with his Polish counterpart Robert Telus.
The statement read:
The ministers discussed the situation as well as Ukraine’s proposal for its settlement, and agreed to find a solution that takes into account the interests of both countries.
It added that “the parties confirmed the close and constructive relations”.
Ukraine has filed a lawsuit at the World Trade Organisation against its three EU neighbours – Poland, Slovakia and Hungary – over the bans on Ukrainian grain.
Warsaw holds parliamentary elections next month. Its populist right-wing government has strong support in agricultural regions and has presented the ban as protecting Polish farmers.
Earlier, Poland’s prime minister said his country would no longer send arms to Ukraine in order to focus on its own defence, a few hours after Warsaw summoned Kyiv’s ambassador amid a row over grain exports.
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Summary of the day so far …
At least two people were killed in the biggest Russian strikes on Ukraine since 15 August. The massive Russian attack hit at least six cities across Ukraine and wounded at least 21. The attack, carried out on the International Day of Peace, coincided with the United Nations general assembly summit in New York, where Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy had delivered a speech and presented a Ukrainian “peace formula”.
The strikes damaged energy infrastructure in central and western Ukraine, Ukrainian national grid operator Ukrenergo said. It said on the Telegram messaging app that the attacks caused electricity shutdowns in five regions – Kyiv, Zhytomyr, Dnipropetrovsk, Rivne, and Kharkiv.
Gen Valerii Zaluzhnyi said on the Telegram messaging app that the Russian missiles were launched in several waves from 10 Russian warplanes, and that Ukrainian air defences shot down 36 out of 43 missiles launched.
A Ukrainian intelligence source has claimed to Reuters that Ukraine’s security service and navy struck the Saky airbase in Russian-occupied Crimea overnight, inflicting “serious damage”. Earlier, Russia’s defence ministry said it had shot down 19 drones over Crimea and the Black Sea. Russia unilaterally annexed Crimea in 2014.
Poland said Wednesday it will no longer arm Ukraine and instead focus on its own defence, as the two allies clashed at a key moment in Kyiv’s fightback against the invasion by Russia. In a mounting row over grain exports from Ukraine, Poland summoned the Ukrainian ambassador on Wednesday to protest remarks at the UN by Zelenskiy. Polish government spokesperson Piotr Müller on Thursday said Poland will only be carrying out previously agreed supplies of ammunition and armaments, including those resulting from the contracts signed with Ukraine.
Slovakia and Ukraine’s agricultural ministers have agreed to set up a licensing system for trading in grains, which would allow a ban on imports of four Ukrainian commodities to Slovakia to be lifted once the system is set up, Reuters reports the Slovak Agriculture Ministry said on Thursday.
Ukraine’s agricultural minister, in a phone call with his counterpart from Poland, has agreed to work out a solution to a trade dispute that is in the interests of both countries, the Ukrainian agriculture ministry said on Thursday.
Belgium is considering whether to supply its F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine, prime minister Alexander De Croo said at the sidelines of the UN general assembly.
Here is an image sent over the news wires of the site of the strike in Rivne.
Kyiv-Warsaw talks continue in bid to resolve trade dispute
Ukraine’s agricultural minister, in a phone call with his Polish counterpart, has agreed to work out a solution to a trade dispute that is in the interests of both countries, the Ukrainian agriculture ministry said on Thursday.
Reuters reports the ministry said in a statement that the two sides had confirmed their “close and constructive ties and agreed to work out an option to cooperate on export issues in the near future”.
Poland announced restrictions on Ukrainian grain imports on Friday after the European Commission decided not to extend a ban on imports into Ukraine’s five EU neighbours.
Ukraine and Slovakia earlier announced that the two nations had come to an agreement.
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Ukraine and Slovakia come to grain agreement as talks continue with Poland
Slovakia and Ukraine’s agricultural ministers have agreed to set up a licensing system for trading in grains, which would allow a ban on imports of four Ukrainian commodities to Slovakia to be lifted once the system is set up, Reuters reports the Slovak Agriculture Ministry said on Thursday.
Ukraine also agreed to halt a complaint over the import ban that it had filed against Slovakia with the World Trade Organization.
Poland’s agricultural minister is reportedly currently in a phone conversation with Ukraine’s equivalent.
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There have been some more words out of Poland concerning its escalating dispute with Ukraine sparked by concerns about Ukrainian grain imports entering Poland.
On Wednesday, Poland’s prime minister, Mateusz Morawiecki, called a halt to arms shipments to its invaded neighbour, saying his country had decided to prioritise its own defence.
“We are no longer transferring weapons to Ukraine because we are now arming Poland with more modern weapons,” the prime minister said.
In his UN address earlier in the week, Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, suggested decisions by Poland, Hungary and Slovakia to defy an EU move end a grain import ban were hypocritical and detrimental to his country. His words prompted a furious response from Poland, which summoned the Ukrainian ambassador.
Morawiecki later told Polsat News television: “I am warning Ukraine’s authorities. Because if they are to escalate the conflict like that, we will add additional products to the ban on imports into Poland. Ukrainian authorities do not understand the degree to which Poland’s farming industry has been destabilised. We are protecting Polish farmers.”
This morning, Reuters reports that Polish government spokesperson Piotr Müller has said Poland will only be carrying out previously agreed supplies of ammunition and armaments, including those resulting from the contracts signed with Ukraine.
State assets minister Jacek Sasin has also spoken on the issue, to radio broadcaster Plus. He said: “At the moment it is as the prime minister said, in the future we will see.”
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Shaun Walker reports from Kyiv on Ukraine’s awkward allies – the far-right Russians fighting on Kyiv’s side:
Before Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine last year, Denis Nikitin was known as a notorious Russian nationalist, who built links between far-right groups across Europe and was once a major figure on Russia’s football hooliganism scene.
These days, Nikitin runs the Russian Volunteer Corps (RDK, to use its Russian abbreviation), a controversial unit of Russian citizens that fights alongside the Ukrainian army.
RDK, along with another group of Russians fighting on Kyiv’s side, performed several cross-border raids earlier this year, briefly seizing villages inside Russia before retreating back into Ukraine.
Ukrainian officials suggest that after the full military defeat of Russia and the collapse of the Putin system, RDK and units like it could be part of a pro-Ukrainian force that marches into Russia, perhaps seizing permanent control of parts of Russian territory.
But RDK are complicated allies for Ukraine. Many of its members have far-right views. Nikitin, who grew up in Russia and Germany, has been banned from the Schengen zone since 2019 and has a reputation as one of Europe’s most notorious neo-Nazis. He goes by the name White Rex, also the name of a brand of clothing he set up that uses far-right imagery.
Read more of Shaun Walker’s report here: Ukraine’s awkward allies – the far-right Russians fighting on Kyiv’s side
Russian attack causes power outages in five Ukrainian regions
Russian missile strikes damaged energy infrastructure in central and western Ukraine on Thursday, Ukrainian national grid operator Ukrenergo said.
Reuters reports it said on the Telegram messaging app that the attacks caused electricity shutdowns in five regions – Kyiv, Zhytomyr, Dnipropetrovsk, Rivne, and Kharkiv.
Overnight Russia launched its most concerted missile and drone attack on Ukrainian cities since mid-August, with Ukrainian sources stating that Kyiv, Cherkasy, Rivne, Lviv, Kharkiv and Kherson regions were all attacked.
Gen Valerii Zaluzhnyi said on the Telegram messaging app that the Russian missiles were launched in several waves from 10 Russian warplanes, and that Ukrainian air defences shot down 36 out of 43 missiles launched.
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Suspilne has more detail on the claims Ukraine is making about an attack on the Saky airbase in Russian-occupied Crimea. On its Telegram channel, it writes:
There were at least 12 combat aircraft (Su-24 and Su-30) at the airfield at that moment, as well as Pantsir Manpads. The airfield also housed a base for training UAV operators. It is these drones that the Russians use to coordinate their own airstrikes, as well as being a combat strike drone. Drones were used to defeat the enemy, which overloaded the Russian air defence system, and Neptune missiles were launched.
Russia’s defence ministry has claimed it shot down 19 Ukrainian drones over Crimea and the Black Sea last night.
The claims have not been independently verified.
A Ukrainian intelligence source has claimed to Reuters that Ukraine’s security service and navy struck the Saky airbase in Russian-occupied Crimea overnight, inflicting “serious damage”. Earlier, Russia’s defence ministry said it had shot down 19 drones over Crimea and the Black Sea.
Russia unilaterally annexed Crimea in 2014.
More details soon …
Here are some more images sent to us over the news wires showing the aftermath of Russia’s overnight attack on cities in Ukraine.
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Reuters has a quick snap to say Ukraine’s army chief claims air defences shot down 36 out of 43 Russian missiles fired in the overnight attack.
Oleksiy Kuleba, former governor of Kyiv region, and now the deputy head of the office of the president of Ukraine, has provided a status update on the overnight attacks on Telegram. Kuleba writes:
Tonight, Russia launched a massive missile attack on Ukraine. Civilians, hostels, a service station, a hotel, energy and civil infrastructure are targeted.
Kyiv city, Kyiv region – there are damaged and damaged houses. Cherkasy region – demolition of the rubble of the destroyed hotel continues, 10 people are injured, two are in serious condition. Rivne region – part of the regional centre is without electricity. Lviv region, Kharkiv region – were also hit.
Kherson oblast is constantly under fire. During the night, the enemy killed three people and wounded five.
Sincere condolences to their relatives. All affected people are receiving help. Local authorities and all necessary services are on site. The liquidation of the consequences of shelling is ongoing.
Difficult months are ahead – Russia will attack energy and critically important facilities. Do not ignore air raid warnings. Take care of your own safety.
Attempts by the Russians every day and every night to sow panic and terror by shelling our peaceful communities are only confirmation of the inhuman nature of the occupiers.
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Energy and civilian infrastructure was hit in an early morning Russian missile attack on Ukraine’s western Rivne region, Reuters reports local governor Vitaliy Koval said on Thursday.
Russia claims to have downed 22 Ukrainian drones overnight
The Russian defence ministry claims to have downed 19 drones over the Black Sea and Crimea regions, and three further drones launched at the Belgorod, Kursk and Oryol regions by Ukraine.
Tass reports in a statement the ministry said: “On the night of 20-21 September, an attempt by the Kyiv regime to carry out a terrorist attack with aircraft-type unmanned aerial vehicles on objects on the territory of the Russian Federation was stopped.”
Russia unilaterally annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014.
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Suspilne, Ukraine's state broadcaster, reports that the number of injured in Kharkiv as a result of Russian missile attacks has increased to three, citing the prosecutor’s office in the region.
Belgium is considering whether to supply its F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine, prime minister Alexander De Croo said.
Belgium is replacing its F-16s with F-35 fighter jets and its defence ministry had said earlier the F-16s were too old for Ukraine to use in battle, though De Croo said they might still be of use, for example in training pilots.
“I have asked Defence to see what use our F-16s could have in Ukraine,” Reuters reports De Croo told Belgian broadcaster VRT, speaking on the sidelines of the UN general meeting in New York. “We need to consider all options.”
Here are photos from Russia’s missile strikes, which have killed two people:
Russian strikes overnight kill two
More now on the strikes Russia launched on Ukraine overnight.
Two people were killed in the biggest strikes since 15 August, according to the Associated Press. The massive Russian attack hit at least six cities across Ukraine and wounded at least 21.
The attack carried out on the International Day of Peace coincided with the United Nations general assembly summit in New York, where the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, delivered a speech and presented a Ukrainian “peace formula”.
The missile attack came a day after reports of sabotage at a Russian military airfield in Chkalovsk near Moscow.
Here is what we know:
In the southern city of Kherson, near the front lines, two people were killed in Thursday’s attacks and at least five injured after a strike hit a residential building, said regional governor Oleksand Prokudin.
Seven people were injured in Kyiv, including a nine-year-old girl, reported the mayor, Vitalii Klitschko, and some residential and commercial buildings were damaged.
At least six strikes hit the Slobidskyi district of Kharkiv, damaging civilian infrastructure, said regional governor Oleh Syniehubov. The city’s mayor added that two people had been sent to hospitals.
Seven were injured and at least one person was rescued from under rubble in Cherkasy, in central Ukraine, according to Ihor Klymenko, minister of internal affairs of Ukraine.
An industrial zone was hit in the western region of Lviv, damaging buildings and starting a fire, but no information on casualties was immediately available, Klymenko added.
Regional governor Vitalii Koval reported strikes in the city of Rivne in the northwest region of the same name, without immediately providing details.
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Poland will no longer send weapons to Ukraine, says PM
Poland will no longer send arms to Ukraine in order to focus on its own defence, the Polish prime minister has said, a few hours after Warsaw summoned Kyiv’s ambassador amid a row over grain exports.
“We are no longer transferring weapons to Ukraine, because we are now arming Poland with more modern weapons,” Mateusz Morawiecki said, in response to a question about whether Warsaw would continue to support Kyiv despite the grain exports disagreement.
Poland has been one of Ukraine’s staunchest supporters after Russia invaded in February 2022 and is one of Kyiv’s main weapons suppliers. It also hosts a million Ukrainian refugees, who have been supplied with various forms of state aid.
Volodymyr Zelenskiy to meet Joe Biden
Zelenskiy is likely to find his latest visit to Washington a much tougher occasion than the hero’s welcome he was given nine months ago.
Zelenskiy was given a standing ovation when he delivered an address to a joint sitting of Congress in December, but on Thursday morning there will be minimal ceremony, and the Ukrainian president faces difficult conversations behind closed doors when he meets congressional leaders who are in the midst of a bitter spending battle that could lead to a government shutdown.
Democrats too will have questions if the Ukrainian delegation comes with requests for drone technology. Party leaders are wary of providing weapon systems that could be used to strike Russian territory, and congressional sources say Zelenskiy will be quizzed on Kyiv’s role in recent strikes on Moscow and other targets deep within Russia.
After his visit to the Hill, Zelenskiy will cross the Potomac to the Pentagon for a meeting with defence secretary Lloyd Austin and the chair of the joint chiefs of staff, Gen Mark Milley.
Then in mid afternoon, he is due at the White House to meet Joe Biden. The US president is expected to announce a new $325m military aid package on the occasion of the visit, but the package will reportedly not include the 300km-range ATACMS missiles Ukraine has been asking for.
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14 injured in Russian strikes on Kyiv, Kharkiv and Cherkasy
Explosions rocked Ukrainian cities overnight, as a massive Russian attack started fires and injured at least 14 people.
Seven people were injured in Kyiv, including a nine-year-old girl, reported the city’s mayor, Vitali Klitschko, and some residential and commercial buildings were damaged.
At least six strikes hit the Slobidskyi district of Kharkiv, damaging civilian infrastructure, said regional governor Oleh Syniehubov. The city’s mayor added that two people had been taken to hospital.
Five were injured and at least one person was buried under rubble in Cherkasy, where a social infrastructure building was damaged, said regional governor Ihor Taburets.
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Opening summary
Welcome back to our live coverage of the war in Ukraine. This is Helen Sullivan with the latest.
Our top story this morning: Explosions rocked Ukrainian cities overnight, as a massive Russian attack started fires and injured at least 14 people. Seven people were injured in Kyiv, including a 9-year-old girl, reported Mayor Vitali Klitschko, and some residential and commercial buildings were damaged.
And Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy will meet US president Joe Biden at the White House this afternoon, as Biden is expected to announce a new $325m military aid package. The package will reportedly not include the 300km-range ATACMS missiles Ukraine has been asking for.
More shortly. Elsewhere meanwhile:
Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, addressed the UN security council on Wednesday, saying there had been 574 days of “pain, losses and struggle” since Russia’s invasion of his country. He said peoples and governments had lost confidence in the UN’s ability and willingness to defend sovereign borders and that the UN had been “ineffective” but that it was “capable of more”.
Russia’s foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, accused the west of “selectively” turning to UN norms and principles on a case-by-case basis “based on their parochial geopolitical needs”. Speaking at the UN’s security council, he said this had resulted in the “shaking of global stability” and the “exacerbation of new hotbeds of tensions” that risked global conflict.
More than a dozen European countries, as well as Australia and Canada, asked the world court on Wednesday to decide whether it has jurisdiction in a case brought by Kyiv alleging that Russia abused the genocide convention to provide a pretext for the invasion of Ukraine. Ukraine brought the case to the international court of justice (ICJ), the highest UN court for disputes between states, days after Russia launched a full-scale war on its smaller neighbour on 24 February last year.
Poland said on Wednesday it will no longer arm Ukraine and instead focus on its own defence, as the two allies clashed at a key moment in Kyiv’s fightback against the invasion by Russia. In a mounting row over grain exports from Ukraine, Poland summoned the Ukrainian ambassador to protest remarks at the UN by Zelenskiy.
Iran’s president, Ebrahim Raisi, in a lengthy set-piece speech to the UN general assembly, accused the US of fanning the flames of violence in Ukraine, prompting protests from Israel’s representative to the UN.
Russia has “deliberately and repeatedly” targeted medical facilities in the Ukrainian city of Kherson, causing damage to children’s hospitals, maternity wards and a regional clinic, according to a new study.
The Swedish investigation into the Nord Stream sabotage last year is at a sensitive stage and the investigator, Mats Ljungqvist, hopes to conclude it before the end of the year, he told Reuters on Wednesday.
Ukraine’s first lady urged world leaders on Tuesday to help return Ukrainian children forcibly taken to Russia, where she said they were being indoctrinated and deprived of their national identity. Speaking on the sidelines of the UN general assembly, Olena Zelenska said more than 19,000 Ukrainian children had been transferred by force or deported to Russia or occupied territories.
Ukraine claimed to have shot down 17 drones overnight on Tuesday. The air force reported that Russian troops had launched a total of 24 unmanned aerial vehicles at Ukraine. Ukraine reported that Russia hit an oil refinery in Kremenchuk, causing a fire and halting operations.
Vyacheslav Gladkov, the governor of the Belgorod region in Russia, reported on Wednesday that three settlements in the region had lost power as a result of cross-border shelling by Ukrainian armed forces, and that one woman had been wounded. He later reported that a man had been killed and another wounded by shelling near the village of Maksimovka.
Brazil’s president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva met on Wednesday for more than an hour with Zelenskiy and discussed ways to achieve a peaceful end to the war in Ukraine. “We had a good conversation about the importance of paths to building,” Lula posted on messaging platform X, formerly known as Twitter, after their meeting in New York on the sidelines of the UN general assembly.
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