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
