Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has said Ukraine was “closer to the end of the war” with Russia than many people realise.
Mr Zelensky is currently in Washington DC to attend the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly. He added Vladimir Putin is “afraid” of Ukraine’s Kursk operation, in which it has taken more than 1,000 square km of Russian territory.
“I think that we are closer to peace than we think,” he told ABC in an interview that is due to be released in full on Tuesday.
“That’s why we’re asking our friends, our allies, to strengthen us. It’s very important.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin has been adamant peace talks will only begin if Kyiv abandons swathes of eastern and southern Ukraine to Russia and drops its NATO membership ambitions.
In Kursk, the situation remains “serious” around a Russian nuclear power plant some 40km from territory seized by Ukraine, according to UN nuclear agency chief Rafael Grossi.
Key Points
- Moscow suffers ‘catastrophic failure’ after firing ballistic missile named ‘Satan II’
- Ukraine closer to end of war with Russia, says Zelensky
- Zelensky to present ‘victory plan’ to Biden, Harris and Trump
- Russian strike on apartment block in Kharkiv injures 21
Russia will achieve all its aims in Ukraine, Kremlin says
10:34
Jabed Ahmed
Russia has no alternative but to achieve all of its aims in the “special military operation” in Ukraine, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said.
Peskov said that as soon as the aims were achieved, the military operation would end.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has been adamant peace talks will only begin if Kyiv abandons swathes of eastern and southern Ukraine to Russia and drops its NATO membership ambitions.
Special report: Putin’s forces are desperate for a prize eastern city and Ukraine will fight street to street to keep them out
10:09
Jabed Ahmed
Askold Krushelnycky reports from Ukraine:
Pictured: Rescuers at residential building hit by Russian strike in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine
09:55
Jabed Ahmed
Exclusive: Zelensky demands UK extradites political opponent in Ukraine Orthodox Church row
09:30
Jabed Ahmed
Our political editor David Maddox reports:
Zelensky’s victory plan will be defining for war in Ukraine, UK defence secretary says
09:08
Jabed Ahmed
Volodymyr Zelensky’s victory plan will be “defining” for the next period of the conflict in Ukraine, Defence Secretary John Healey has said.
Speaking at a fringe event at the Labour Party conference in Liverpool, Mr Healey also said the UK will support Ukraine “at any point when they decide they may want to stop” fighting and announced a joint specialist unit between his department and the Foreign Office to facilitate aid.
The Ukrainian leader is set to address the UN General Assembly on Wednesday and will present President Joe Biden with a “victory plan”.
The plan is set to include long-range striking capabilities and other weapons long sought by Kyiv, and will serve as the basis for any future negotiation with Russia.
Mr Healey told the event at conference that what is next for Ukraine “is going to be defined for us all if President Zelensky delivers what he’s trailed” in his promise to turn up in New York with a victory plan.
Russian attack on Ukraine's Poltava region disrupts power supply, authorities say
08:48
Jabed Ahmed
Russia’s overnight attack on Ukraine‘s central region of Poltava damaged energy infrastructure, cutting power to 20 settlements, authorities have said.
Debris from falling drones damaged several homes, but caused no casualties, regional governor Filip Pronin said in a statement on the Telegram messaging app, while emergency services scrambled to tackle the power situation.
“Debris also damaged the energy infrastructure in Poltava region, leaving 20 settlements without power,” he added.
In the northeastern city of Zaporizhzhia, Monday’s attack killed one person and injured at least seven, among them a 13-year-old girl and a 15-year-old boy, the regional governor, Ivan Fedorov, said in an update.
The Ukrainian air force shot down 66 drones but lost track of 13 among the 81 unmanned aerial vehicles Russia launched in the overnight attack, along with four missiles, it said on Telegram.
Authorities have doused two fires in the Kyiv region sparked by the overnight attack, but no homes or critical facilities were hit, regional governor Ruslan Kravchenko said.
Ukraine says China is key route for foreign tech in Russian weapons
08:19
Jabed Ahmed
Around 60 per cent of the foreign parts found in Russian weapons on the battlefield in Ukraine come via China, Ukraine‘s presidential adviser Vladyslav Vlasiuk told reporters on Tuesday.
“If you take all the usual types of weapons and count the foreign made components about 60% would be coming from China. We have had lengthy discussions with some manufacturers about this,” Vlasiuk said.
“The PRC (China) is the biggest problem I would say.”
Trump calls Zelensky ‘greatest salesman’ as Ukrainian president visits Washington
08:02
Arpan Rai
Donald Trump has called Volodymyr Zelensky a “salesman” again as the Ukrainian leader held several meetings with allies to support Ukraine against Russian invasion. Mr Trump has not offered to help Kyiv against Moscow so far.
“I think Zelensky is the greatest salesman in history. Every time he comes into the country, he walks away with 60 billion dollars,” Mr Trump said at a rally in western Pennsylvania. “He wants them to win this election so badly, but I would do differently – I will work out peace.”
Mr Trump also claimed that Zelensky wanted the Democrats to win the 2024 US election, in which the former president faces vice president Kamala Harris, the Democratic candidate.
Harris’ campaign has called out Mr Trump for not having said he wants Ukraine to win the war.
“Vice president Harris understands that if America walks away from Ukraine, Putin would be sitting in Kyiv with his eyes on the rest of Europe and our Nato allies,” said Morgan Finkelstein, the national security spokesperson for Harris’ campaign.
Around 20 settlements in Ukraine without power after Russian attack
07:45
Arpan Rai
Russia’s overnight attack on Ukraine’s central Poltava region damaged energy infrastructure which cut power to 20 settlements, local authorities said.
The attack also damaged several private residences in the region without causing any casualties, Poltava’s regional governor said in a statement.
One killed in Russia’s attack on Zaporizhzhia
07:06
Arpan Rai
At least one person was killed and four more were injured in a Russian attack on Zaporizhzhia overnight, the local emergency services said this morning.
The injured include two children, officials said.
Russian forces launched fresh strikes on the southeastern city housing Europe’s largest nuclear power plant yesterday evening, regional governor Ivan Fedorov said.
Strikes on the city earlier yesterday and the previous night wounded at least 23.
G7 to discuss Ukraine long-range missiles at UN, says EU’s Borrell
07:00
Arpan Rai
The issue of allowing Ukraine to hit Russia with Western-supplied long-range missiles will be discussed by G7 foreign ministers on the sidelines of the UN, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said.
The top official said Russia was receiving new weapons, including Iranian missiles, despite Tehran’s repeated denials. “It’s clear that Russia has been receiving new arms, in particular missiles from Iran,” he said. “This is what we believe, even if Iranians deny it, but it looks like it.”
Tehran and Moscow have dismissed reports about Iran sending ballistic missiles to Russia.
“Ukraine has to improve the military situation in order to go to the peace negotiations in a good way, in a position of strength,” Mr Borrell added.
Ukraine will fight street-to street to keep Russia out of key city
07:00
Tom Watling
Russia launched 81 drones, four missiles overnight on Ukraine
06:48
Arpan Rai
Russia attacked Ukraine using 81 drones and four missiles overnight, the Ukrainian air force said this morning.
The air force said it shot down 66 drones and lost track of 13 more across several Ukrainian regions. “As a result of anti-aircraft combat, 66 enemy attack UAVs were shot down in the Kyiv, Zhytomyr, Cherkasy, Vinnytsia, Kirovohrad, Poltava, Sumy and Mykolaiv regions,” the air force said on its Telegram channel.
It did not mention the extent of any damage caused by the attack.
Russia 'wants to plunge Ukraine into darkness' before winter
06:27
Arpan Rai
Russia is trying to knock out Ukraine’s energy infrastructure ahead of the winter to leave it dark and in the cold, the EU’s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said.
“It’s clear that Russia wants to put Ukraine into the dark and the cold. The winter is coming, and following Russia attacks against energy targets, Ukraine energy production capacity has been reduced by two-thirds,” Mr Borrell told reporters at a press conference in New York.
He was speaking after European Union foreign ministers, and earlier G7 ministers, held talks with Ukrainian officials, including foreign minister Andrii Sybiha, to discuss how to help Ukraine in the coming weeks.
“We have to support Ukraine not only providing military capacity, but electricity production capacity. Otherwise, this country will be facing a very hard time in winter,” Mr Borrell said.
It has become a pattern of the past two and a half years of conflict for Russia to target Ukraine’s energy system before the onset of winter. This has resulted in rolling blackouts and limited electricity supply to some regions for hours each day. Sure enough these sorts of attacks have ramped up in recent weeks.
Ukraine’s electricity supply shortfall could reach 6 gigawatts this winter, about a third of the expected peak demand, the International Energy Agency said in a report published last week.
Russian TV channel simulates devastating nuclear strike on central London
06:15
Arpan Rai
A Russian television channel, known for its pro-Putin stance, has aired a documentary simulating a nuclear attack on central London. The video, shown on Tsargrad’s Telegram channel, shows a nuclear weapons explosion that it says could cause 850,000 deaths.
“Imagine for a moment that the unimaginable happens. A nuclear weapon explodes over London. In this documentary, we explore the devastating consequences of the catastrophe,” the documentary begins.
It shows a warhead with a nuclear yield of 750 kilotons heading towards the UK. The simulated epicentre of the explosion is Westminster.
“Upon detonation, a fireball as hot as the sun rapidly expands, reaching a radius of 950 metres (1,039 yards),” the video claims.
The initial death toll in the simulation is stated to exceed 250,000 people with more than 600,000 injured within a radius of six miles. It claims a further 450,000 people will die from burns, debris, injuries or radiation sickness and “over a million will be traumatised”.
“Within that radius anything that can burn will catch fire. Petrol stations, automobiles, power substations, gas infrastructure,” it claims.
The video adds: “Explosive facilities will explode and amplify the effect of the devastation over a huge area, including areas from Camden to Greenwich and Islington to Wandsworth.”
Russia’s air defence units destroy 13 Ukrainian drones
06:14
Arpan Rai
Russia’s air defence units destroyed 13 Ukrainian drones overnight, the Russian defence ministry said.
Of these, six drones were destroyed each over the Belgorod and Kursk regions, while one was downed over the Bryansk region, Russian news agency TASS reported.
Watch: Russian arms depot ablaze after massive Ukrainian drone attack
06:00
Tom Watling
Moscow suffers ‘catastrophic failure’ after firing ballistic missile named ‘Satan II’
05:43
Arpan Rai
Russia appears to have suffered a “catastrophic failure” in a test of its Sarmat missile, a key weapon in the modernisation of its nuclear arsenal, according to arms experts who have analysed satellite images of the launch site.
The images captured by Maxar on 21 September show a crater about 60 metres wide at the launch silo at the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in northern Russia. They reveal extensive damage that was not visible in pictures taken earlier in the month.
Timothy Wright, research associate at the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) in London, said the destruction of the area immediately surrounding the missile silo was suggestive of a failure soon after ignition.
“One possible cause is that the first stage (booster) either failed to ignite properly or suffered from a catastrophic mechanical failure, causing the missile to fall back into or land closely adjacent to the silo and explode,” he told Reuters.
The RS-28 Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile, known in the West as Satan II, is designed to deliver nuclear warheads to strike targets thousands of miles away in the United States or Europe, but its development has been dogged by delays and testing setbacks.
Ukraine closer to end of war with Russia, says Zelensky
05:20
Arpan Rai
Ukraine is “closer to the end of the war” with Russia, Volodymyr Zelensky said in an interview with ABC News released yesterday,
“I think that we are closer to the peace than we think,” he was quoted as saying. “We are closer to the end of the war.”
Mr Zelensky urged Washington and other partners to continue supporting Ukraine. Washington and its allies have provided a multi-billion dollar assistance program to Ukraine while also imposing several rounds of sanctions against Moscow.
Only from a “strong position” can Ukraine push Russian president Vladimir Putin “to stop the war”, Mr Zelensky said.
The Ukrainian war-time president has said very little so far about his “victory plan,” except that it would act as a “bridge” to a second Ukraine-led summit on peace that Kyiv wants to hold and invite Russia to later this year. Moscow has rejected the invite.
Mapped: Ukraine’s incursion into the Russian Kursk region explained
05:00
Tom Watling
I’ve witnessed the horrific cost of Putin’s war – as casualties hit 1m
04:00
Tom Watling
Situation tense around Russia’s Kursk plant, says UN nuclear chief
03:52
Arpan Rai
The situation remains serious around Russia’s Kursk nuclear power plant, UN nuclear agency chief Rafael Grossi said, but his agency planned no permanent mission at the site.
Part of Kursk remains under the control of Ukrainian troops, who poured over from the border last month. They are still some 40km (25 miles) from the nuclear facility, however.
“(The situation) is serious in that a military incursion has taken place and that incursion has reached the stage that it is not that distant from a nuclear power station,” said Mr Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency.
He had visited the Kursk plant, made up of four reactors, last month and said it would be “extremely exposed” if it came under attack as the facility had no containment dome – a safety feature found in all modern nuclear facilities protecting the reactor.
In his comments to RIA, made in New York ahead of debates at the UN General Assembly, he said he hoped favourable circumstances would mean he would not have to visit the plant again.
“I hope there will be no need to return to the Kursk station as that would mean that the situation has stabilised,” he said.
Putin’s fall is inevitable, says freed prisoner Vladimir Kara Murza
03:00
Tom Watling
EU chief travels to Kyiv with promise of fresh energy funds to get Ukraine through winter
02:00
Tom Watling
Northrop Grumman plans ammunition plant partnership in Lithuania
01:00
Tom Watling
Lithuania has signed a memorandum of understanding with Northrop Grumman Corporation for the development of an ammunition plant in the Baltic country that could also benefit Ukraine, the government and U.S. arms maker said in a joint statement on Monday.
The collaboration would boost Lithuania’s domestic defence industry and minimise the reliance on long supply chains, the government said, without giving any details of locations, time scales or financing.
“We hope that the cooperation with our American allies will strengthen the country’s security and preparedness, while also benefiting the wider region, including Ukraine,” Lithuanian Finance Minister Gintare Skaiste said in a statement.
Steve O’Bryan, corporate vice president and global business development officer of Northrop Grumman said the collaboration was in keeping with the company’s commitment to “supporting U.S. and allied countries through industry partnerships across the globe”.
The project, to be developed with state-owned ammunition manufacturer Giraite Armaments Plant, is expected to produce middle-caliber ammunition, according to the statement.
A charred transformer on a Kyiv square makes for an unusual Ukraine war exhibit
Tuesday 24 September 2024 00:00
Tom Watling
Ukraine accuses Russia of seeking to illegally control strategic sea as arbitration hearings open
Monday 23 September 2024 23:00
Tom Watling
The Ukrainian fighting to keep Russia out of world chess
Monday 23 September 2024 22:00
Tom Watling
Vladimir Kara-Murza: How I survived 11 months in Putin’s gulag
Monday 23 September 2024 21:00
Tom Watling
Mapped: Ukraine’s incursion into the Russian Kursk region explained
Monday 23 September 2024 20:00
Tom Watling
Ukraine bans Telegram messenger app on state-issued devices because of Russian security threat
Monday 23 September 2024 19:00
Tom Watling
Watch: Russian arms depot ablaze after massive Ukrainian drone attack
Monday 23 September 2024 18:00
Tom Watling
Takeaways from AP's report on warning signs about suspect in apparent Trump assassination attempt
Monday 23 September 2024 17:00
Tom Watling
At the UN, world leaders try to lay out a vision for the future — and actually make it happen
Monday 23 September 2024 16:00
Tom Watling
Putin’s forces are desperate for a prize eastern city and Ukraine will fight street-to-street to keep them out
Monday 23 September 2024 15:11
Tom Watling
Mapped: Ukraine’s incursion into the Russian Kursk region explained
Monday 23 September 2024 14:41
Tom Watling
Photos from the frontline
Monday 23 September 2024 14:08
Tom Watling
Over 20 people wounded after Russia strikes apartment blocks in Ukraine’s Kharkiv
Monday 23 September 2024 13:29
Tom Watling
Ukraine accuses Russia of seeking to illegally control strategic sea as arbitration hearings open
Monday 23 September 2024 13:03
Tom Watling
Ukraine accuses Russia of flouting maritime law beside Crimea
Monday 23 September 2024 12:32
Tom Watling
Ukraine accused Russia at an international court on Monday of flouting sea law by trying to keep the Kerch Strait between mainland Russia and annexed Crimea under its sole control.
Kyiv began proceedings at the Hague-based intergovernmental Permanent Court of Arbitration in 2016 after Moscow began building the 19 km (12 mile) Crimea Bridge link to the peninsula it seized from Ukraine two years previously.
The bridge is crucial for the supply of fuel, food and other products to Crimea, where the port of Sevastopol is the historic home base of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet, and became a major supply route for troops after Moscow’s full-scale invasion in 2022.
Kyiv, which wants the bridge demolished and has targeted it with attacks, says Russia built it low to keep international ships out while allowing smaller Russian ones through the strait connecting the Sea of Azov and Black Sea.
“Russia wants to take the Sea of Azov and Kerch Strait for itself,” Ukraine‘s representative Anton Korynevych told arbitrators at the opening of hearings.
Russia dismissed Ukraine‘s case as groundless and hopeless.
Ukraine says it does not target civilians during offensive in Kursk region
Monday 23 September 2024 12:04
Tom Watling
Ukraine abides by international humanitarian law and does not target civilians during its current incursion into Russia’s western Kursk region, Ukraine‘s foreign ministry spokesman said on Monday.
Earlier on Monday, Russia said at least 56 civilians had been killed and 266 wounded during Ukraine‘s incursion.
“Given Russia’s long history of false numbers and propaganda, there is simply no way of verifying their claims. If Russia wants to show the real situation on the ground it can grant such access to the UN and ICRC,” Heorhiy Tykhyi, the spokesman, told Reuters, using the acronyms for the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross.
Kremlin says world chess body's ban on Russian players is result of Western pressure
Monday 23 September 2024 11:31
Tom Watling
The Kremlin said on Monday that a decision by the general assembly of FIDE, the governing body of chess, to uphold a ban on Russian and Belarusian players was the result of Western and Ukrainian pressure.
FIDE’s general assembly on Sunday upheld the ban which was imposed after Russia sent its army into Ukraine in February 2022. Belarus allowed Russian forces to use its territory to enter Ukraine.
When asked about the ban being rolled over, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: “The West and Ukraine are putting open and undisguised pressure on countries within FIDE. This is no secret, everyone knows about it.
“Unfortunately, FIDE is also not free from the politicization of sport and the world of chess in particular,” said Peskov.
The Ukrainian government, the U.S. State Department, and players including former world champion Magnus Carlsen, and members of the Ukraine Olympic team had urged chess federations to reject an initial motion by Russian ally Kyrgyzstan to fully reinstate the two nations.
Zelensky visits ammunition plant in Biden hometown
Monday 23 September 2024 10:58
Tom Watling
During my visit to the Scranton Army Ammunition Plant, where components for artillery and mortar shells are produced, including 155 mm shells for Ukraine, I emphasized the dedication of the workers, which is truly inspiring—they are helping Ukraine stand strong in our fight for… pic.twitter.com/rs0vLZRlVU
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) September 23, 2024
Russia claims 31 civilians killed during Ukrainian offensive in Kursk region
Monday 23 September 2024 10:29
Tom Watling
Ukraine‘s offensive in Russia’s Kursk region has so far killed at least 31 civilians and wounded 256, the Russian foreign ministry has claimed.
In August, Ukraine launched the biggest foreign attack on Russia since World War Two, bursting through the border into the western Kursk region supported by swarms of drones and heavy weaponry, including Western-made arms.
Russia said 131,000 civilians had left the most dangerous areas of the Kursk region.
Pictured: Russian strike on Zaporizhzhia
Monday 23 September 2024 09:58
Jabed Ahmed
David Lammy says allies need ‘guts’ to allow Ukraine to use Storm Shadow missiles
Monday 23 September 2024 09:30
Maroosha Muzaffar
UK foreign secretary David Lammy has announced ongoing negotiations with the White House regarding Ukraine’s request to use Storm Shadow missiles against Russian targets.
He also urged allies to show “nerve and guts” as he said that the challenges of the war are now escalating into 2025.
“So this is a critical time for nerve and guts and patience and for fortitude on behalf of allies who stand with Ukraine,” he said.
“I am not going to as foreign secretary, of course, comment on operational details, because that can only aid Putin,” Mr Lammy said “but there is a very real-time discussion across allies about how we can support Ukraine as we head into winter,” according to The Guardian.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has urged the US to permit Ukraine to conduct long-range strikes within Russia.
Read more here:
Glide bombs, missiles and drones: The aerial bombardment raining down on Ukraine’s troops around Kharkiv
Monday 23 September 2024 09:00
Alex Croft
Pictured: Severe damage after Russia strikes Kharkiv
Monday 23 September 2024 08:30
Alex Croft
ICYMI: NATO jets intercept six Russian aircraft flying over Baltic Sea
Monday 23 September 2024 08:15
Alex Croft
Russian aircraft were flying over the Baltic Sea without transponders or a flight plan, the Latvian Air Force reported on Saturday night.
Transponders are a device which helps air traffic in international airspace remain safe - and it is not uncommon for Russian jets to enter Baltic airspace with them turned off.
The jets were escorted by NATO Eurofighter jets as part of NATO’s Baltic Air Policing mission, the Latvian Air Force said according to the Kyiv Independent.
In August, German pilots reported that Russian planes detected heading towards Latvian airspace were behaving “uncooperatively but not aggressively” when the Baltic Air Policing mission intercepted them.
In August, the German Air Force reported that Russian pilots who were detected heading toward Latvian airspace “behaved uncooperatively but not aggressively” when intercepted by NATO’s Baltic Air Policing mission.
Report: Over 20 people wounded after Russia strikes apartment blocks in Ukraine’s Kharkiv
Monday 23 September 2024 08:00
Alex Croft
Russian strikes hit high-rise apartment blocks in Ukraine’s Kharkiv, leaving dozens wounded in a second consecutive nighttime attack this week.
The bombs fell Saturday night on the district of Shevchenkivsky, in Ukraine’s northeast, local Gov. Oleh Syniehubov said. Residential 16 and 9-storied buildings were destroyed, and seven more buildings were damaged, he added.
Twenty-one people were wounded, including an eight-year-old, two 17-year-olds and several older adults, according to Syniehubov and Kharkiv mayor Ihor Terekhov.
Samya Kullab reports:
Russians will officially recognise Putin as a criminal, says former Gazprom official
Monday 23 September 2024 07:30
Maroosha Muzaffar
Ihor Volobuyev, a former chief spokesperson for Russian energy giant Gazprom has warned that Russians will repent for siding with Vladimir Putin.
The 53-year-old, who defected to Ukraine and is now fighting against Russia in the ongoing war, told Sky News: “The time will come, I really hope, when Russia will officially recognise him [Putin] as a criminal. And the Russians will repent for being with him, choosing him, listening to him, and for the time they spent in this war under his leadership. I hope they will be ashamed.”
He told the outlet: “I believe that until we kick Putin’s backside, we can’t think about anything else” adding that “I will serve in the armed forces of Ukraine for as long as I have the strength, opportunity and health - and I’m fine with that”.
Despite spending much of his life in Moscow, Mr Volobuyev, who was born in Ukraine, opposed Russia’s actions since the 2014 Crimea invasion and defected after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
He has now relinquished his Russian citizenship and gained Ukrainian citizenship. “I haven’t shared Russia’s policy since 2014... I had been looking for the inner strength to lea