In this photo provided by the Kyiv City Hall Press Service, fire burns following a Russian rocket attack on Kyiv. Photograph: AP
In this photo provided by the Kyiv City Hall Press Service, fire burns following a Russian rocket attack on Kyiv. Photograph: APShow key events onlyPlease turn on JavaScript to use this feature
Live feedRussian strikes overnight kill twoMore 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.
Firefighters work at a site in a residential area, damaged during a Russian missile strike in Kyiv. Photograph: Valentyn Ogirenko/ReutersHere 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.
Key events
Show key events onlyPlease turn on JavaScript to use this feature
Here are some more images sent to us over the news wires showing the aftermath of Russia’s overnight attack on cities in Ukraine.
A man looks at the site of a missile strike on a residential area in Kyiv. Photograph: Oleg Petrasyuk/EPAFirefighters work at a site damaged during a Russian missile strike in Kyiv. Photograph: Valentyn Ogirenko/ReutersA police officer records the fact a car was destroyed as a result of missile fragments falling in Kyiv. Photograph: Global Images Ukraine/GettyAn explosion is seen in the sky over Kyiv. Photograph: Gleb Garanich/ReutersReuters 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.
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 overnightThe 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.
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:
A firefighter works at a site in a residential area, damaged during a Russian missile strike, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine on 21 September 2023. Photograph: Valentyn Ogirenko/ReutersFirefighters work at a site in a residential area, damaged during a Russian missile strike, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine 21 September 2023. Photograph: Valentyn Ogirenko/ReutersRescue workers carry a person from the rubble following a rocket attack in a location given as Cherkasy, Ukraine in this screengrab taken from a handout video released 21 September 2023. Photograph: State Emergency Service Of Ukraine/ReutersRussian strikes overnight kill twoMore 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.
Firefighters work at a site in a residential area, damaged during a Russian missile strike in Kyiv. Photograph: Valentyn Ogirenko/ReutersHere 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.
Poland will no longer send weapons to Ukraine, says PMPoland 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
Julian Borger
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.
14 injured in Russian strikes on Kyiv, Kharkiv and CherkasyExplosions 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.
Opening summaryWelcome 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.
Explore more on these topics