Ukraine-Russia war latest: Zelenskyy appears to admit concern over what US election means for war (2024)

The UK's armed forces minister has said the country's allies should continue supporting Ukraine "regardless of their political stripe".

Appearing on Sky News ahead of Sir Keir Starmer's appearance at a major NATO summit in Washington, Luke Pollard answered a question on whether he was concerned about a drop in support for Kyiv if Donald Trump wins the US presidential election.

He replied: "We want all our allies to be supporting Ukraine. That's our expectation.

"And we'll work with every single one of them, regardless of political stripe, to make sure they do so, because Ukraine's security is all our security."

Mr Pollard said Russia's defeat in Ukraine was not just important for Ukraine itself but also the UK and US.

"If [Russia] do win in Ukraine, they won't stop with Ukraine," he said.

The number of people killed in Russia's missile attacks on Kyiv on Monday has risen to 34, local authorities have said.

The Kyiv military administration reported the death of another person this morning.

Earlier, the administration said dozens of people injured in the attacks were still being treated in hospital, with half a dozen in "serious condition".

By Deborah Haynes, security and defence editor, and Azad Safarov, Ukraine producer

The kidney doctor raced to the basem*nt of a children's hospital in Kyiv to check up on some of her young patients who had been moved there for safety during an air raid siren.

Svitlana Lukyanchuk, 30, then risked her life to go back upstairs to a treatment centre where five more infants were hooked up to dialysis machines unable to be taken to the shelter.

Despite the danger, she stayed with them to make sure their life-saving procedures could continue even as the ground shook to the sound of Russian missiles striking the capital.

Suddenly, one of the munitions hit the hospital, shattering the windows of the dialysis centre and killing the paediatrician, who was thrown off her feet by the force of the blast.

She was one of two adults to die on Monday in the carnage at the Okhmatdyt children's hospital - Ukraine's main paediatrics facility.

More than 300 people were injured, including eight children, while large parts of the complex, including intensive care wards, operating rooms and a prenatal area, were damaged, according to medical staff.

Some of the wounded infants had been receiving dialysis under the care of Svitlana.

Valentyna Hrebeniuk, who worked with the kidney doctor, broke down in tears as she remembered her colleague.

You can read the full story here...

Russia has claimed to have thwarted an attack on one of its warships and detained a Ukrainian special services agent, according to state media.

Reports have suggested the targeted warship was Russia'sonly aircraft carrier - the Admiral Kuznetsov.

The ship has suffereda series of repair delays in the port of Murmansk.

Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) said one of its servicemen wascontacted by a Ukrainian citizen who tried to persuade him tocommit an attack on the ship, but was detained.

The TASS news agency also cited the FSB as claiming another person was preparing a "terrorist attack" against three "high-ranking" defence ministry servicemen.

It claimed the man had organised for three explosive devices disguised as gifts to be delivered to the homes of the servicemen in Moscow.

It reported that the man was a Russian citizen who confessed to being recruited by the Ukrainian military.

Search and rescue operations related to Russia's mass missile attack on Kyiv have ended, Ukraine's State Emergency Service has said.

Vladimir Putin's forces launched the strike on the capital city on Monday, with one missile directly hitting the Okhmatdyt children's hospital.

A total of 33 people, including five children, were killed in the attack and a further 121 were injured, the State Emergency Service said.

"These have been tragic, tense, and exhausting days," it added in a Telegram post.

"Emergency rescuers and dozens of pieces of equipment have been continuously clearing the rubble, trying to save every life."

In total, emergency workers rescued 11 people.

The strike was one of the deadliest bombardments of Kyiv in several months.

Moscow has not claimed responsibility for the attack, but our data and forensics team has confirmed the weapon used on the hospital was an air-launched cruise missile from Russia.

You can read more about the team's discoveries here...

Two people have been killed in a Russian missile attack in a southern Ukrainian city, the local governor has said.

The strike on Odesa has also damaged a civilian ship, port infrastructure, warehouses and trucks, Oleh Kiper said on Telegram.

He did not identify the two people killed, but confirmed one was a security guard and the other was a truck driver.

"Another man, a watchman, was injured. Currently, the victim is receiving all the necessary help in the hospital," he added.

It comes after the Ukrainian air force said Russia had launched five missilesand 20 drones overnight, with Odesa port as one of the targets.

A total of 14 drones were shot down by Ukrainian forces, it said.

Sir Keir Starmer will meet the US president and other NATO leaders at a summit celebrating the military alliance's 75th birthday today.

The prime minister has been pressing for European nations to increase defence spending.

However, he has refused to guarantee that he will meet his flagship commitment on defence spending within his first term in office, despite a "cast iron" promise to get there.

Speaking to reporters, Sir Keir was repeatedly pressed on whether the goal of spending 2.5% of GDP would be reached.

He said: "We are committed to the 2.5%, as I have said before the election and I say again after the election. That is obviously subject to our fiscal rules, but the commitment is there.

"The strategic review will take place, that will happen next week, and we will set out the details of that."

Later this afternoon, he will hold talks with Joe Biden in the White House.

It comes as Mr Biden is facing domestic pressures over his age and ability to run the US for a second term.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed concern that the US election may prevent the West from providing Ukraine with the support it needs to repel and push back Russia over the coming months.

He used the opening of a NATO summit to urge world leaders to accelerate assistance - perhaps mindful that the willingness of the US to provide aid could change if Donald Trump is elected in November.

The Ukrainian president said Vladimir Putin believes that "war might pay" and is "trying to humiliate America" by breaking free nations.

Delivering a pivotal address during a NATO summit last night, he said: "It's time to step out of the shadows to make strong decisions to act and not wait for November or any other months to descend.

"We must be strong and uncompromising all together."

He added that the US must be "uncompromising in defending democracy, uncompromising against Putin and his coterie".

"How much longer can Putin last? The answer to this question is right here in Washington. Your leadership, your actions, your choice. The choice to act now," he said.

Mr Zelenskyy's visit to Washington was the latest in a series of trips where he has called for more military assistance to defend his country against Russia.

It comes as he continues to push for Ukraine to become a NATO member - a demand that current members are not in a hurry to meet.

As the NATO summit continues, he'll be trying to navigate a tumultuous American political landscape as Joe Biden attempts to show his strength on the world stage amid concerns about his ability to lead.

Welcome back to our live coverage of the war in Ukraine, as NATO leaders meet in Washington in the wake of devastating Russian strikes.

We'll bring you updates and analysis throughout the day - but first, here's a recap of the key developments over the course of the last 24 hours.

• US President Joe Biden opened NATO's summit in Washington by promising further air defence support to Ukraine;
• Mr Biden said Kyiv would go "to the front of the line" when it came to delivering tactical air defence systems;
• Volodymyr Zelenskyy has thanked the world leaders who have condemned Russia's attack on a children's hospital in Kyiv;
• Russia has pledged to begin discharging Indian nationals who had been "misled" into joining its military;
• A state-owned arms manufacturer from Ukraine has opened its first foreign office in Washington;
• A court in Moscow's issued an arrest warrant for the widow of Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny, Yulia Navalnaya, after accusing her of being part of an "extremist" group.

We are ending our live coverage for today.

Scroll back to find out all the day's latest developments.