Ukraine-Russia war latest: Kremlin responds to US shift on military aid; deadliest strike in weeks claims more victims (2024)

NATO is working tosend more air defence systems to Ukraine, secretary general JensStoltenberg has said.

Speaking at a meeting of foreign ministersof the G7, he said: "We have compiled data about the different air defencesystems we have in NATO and focused on the Patriot systems.

"Andwe are working with allies to ensure that they redeploy some oftheir systems to Ukraine.

"I am encouraged by the commitment and the determination byNATO allies to stand up for Ukraine."

Mr Stoltenberg added that he wasseeing encouraging signs that the US Congress might soonpass an aid package for Ukraine.

Here are the latest pictures from the front and from behind the lines as the war in Ukraine rages on.

Ukrainian strikes in Russia

A couple stand near a house damaged by a Ukrainian drone attack in Voronezh, Russia.

Several structures were destroyed in the strike.

G7 foreign ministers meet in Italy

Ukraine's air defences is a key issue for ministers gathered on the Italian island of Capri, following a German appeal on Wednesday to the EuropeanUnion and NATO to do more to help Kyiv.

German president inspects troops

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier visited Bundeswher troops training in Munster, Germany.

Much of the tank training Ukrainian troops have undergone has taken place near the western German city.

Prague protest

Protesters carry wooden crosses in the colours of the Ukrainian flag and place them in front of the US embassy in Prague in protest at the lives lost due to "American hesitancy" during a rally called "Defend Ukrainian skies" in the Czech capital.

G7 foreign ministers have warned that Ukraine risks being defeated by Russia unless it receives more air defences.

More than two years into Russia's full-scale invasion, Kyiv is facing an ammunition shortage, with vital American funding still tied up in political wrangling on Capitol Hill andthe EU failing to deliver sufficient munitions promptly.

The ministers began a second day of talks on the Italian island of Capri by discussing the Middle East crisis and were expected to turn to Ukraine in the afternoon, when they were due to be joined by the head of NATO and Ukraine's foreign minister.

The EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, who attends G7 gatherings alongside his American Italian, German, French, British, Japanese and Canadian counterparts, urged EU nations to hand over air defence systems to help Ukraine protect its cities from Russia, which is targeting key infrastructure.

"Otherwise, the electricity system of Ukraine will be destroyed. And no country can fight without having electricity at home, in the factories, online, for everything," he told reporters.

Russian air defences shot down what they described as five Ukrainian balloons overnight, according to the Kremlin's defence ministry.

Neither Moscow nor Kyiv have provided details about the balloons, which Russian authorities reported appearing on the battlefield in recent weeks.

According to Russian news reports, the Ukrainian balloons are equipped with a GPS module and carry explosives.

They are allegedly are harder to detect and could carry larger payloads than conventional, smaller drones.

It is not clear if the balloons are lifted by helium, hot air or something else entirely.

They aren't controllable once in the air, with the GPS module likely being used to co-ordinate the release of explosives if the balloon floats over a specific area.

Three Ukrainian balloons and one drone were downed over the Voronezh region, which borders the occupied Luhansk region of Ukraine.

Two others were intercepted in the Belgorod region of Russia next to Ukraine, according to the Russian defence ministry.

As well as the balloons, Russia claimed it intercepted two Ukrainian tactical missiles, 19 rockets and 16 drones during the night.

A Russian missile attack on Dnipropetrovsk region this morning damaged aninfrastructure facility and a business, a local officialsaid.

Two people were injured and taken to hospital, according to the regionalgovernor, who added that the attack caused fires at two sites.

Ukraine'sair force issued a warning of a ballistic missile threat aheadof the strike.

Moscow has stepped up combined missile and drone strikestargeting Ukraine's power grid in recent weeks, resulting insignificant damage.

The Kremlin has also increased its use of harder-to-interceptballistic missiles.

The Kremlin claims that any new American military aid for Ukraine (see 9.36 post) won'tchange the situation at the front, which it described as "unfavourable" for Kyiv's forces.

Spokesman Dmitry Peskov then said US aid, would, however, help the US defence industry and leave Ukraine in debt.

Assuming a bill in the House of Representatives passes, Ukraine will be the recipient of more than $60bn (£48bn) of lethal aid from Washington.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been calling on Ukraine's allies to provide more support, particularly air defence weapons, in light of increased missile bombardment by Russia.

Berlin's foreign ministry has summoned the Russian ambassador following the arrestof two German-Russian nationals on suspicion of plottingsabotage attacks, including on US military facilities, in Germany Bild reports.

Germany has become one of Kyiv's biggest suppliers ofmilitary aid since the war began and is a major target for Russianspying operations, according to authorities in Berlin.

"Our security authorities have prevented possible explosiveattacks that were intended to target and undermine our militaryassistance to Ukraine," Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said earlier.

"It is a particularly serious case of alleged spy activityfor Putin's criminal regime."

The Kremlin earlier denied knowledge of the arrests.

Sky News military analyst Sean Bellsays that yesterday's attack on Chernihiv shows Russia is exploiting Ukraine's lack of air defence weapons.

He said: "Last night was the latest wave of Russian attacks hitting the town of Chenihiv. Three missiles, 18 people killed, and 78 injured when an eight-storey residential building collapsed.

"Last week, President Zelenskyy highlighted the fact that there were a limited number of air defence missiles available.

"He talked about one Russian attack on a thermal power plant where 11 missiles were fired with only seven shot down because they ran out of air defence missiles, leaving four to get through.

"What is almost certainly happening here is that Russia are taking advantage of the shortage of weapons."

He added that the attack on Chernihiv was also interesting due to its proximity to Kyiv (about 90 miles) and the fact that it was previously taken by Russia when they attempted to lay siege to the Ukrainian capital.

Bell said this raised the question: is another assault in Kyiv is being considered by Moscow?

Russian-installed officialsin charge of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant have accused Ukraine of launching a drone attack on the plant'straining centre.

The plant said in a statement that the drone had beendestroyed above the roof of the building.

It added that there had beenno damage and nobody had been injured.

Russian seized control of the facility in southern Ukraine in March 2022.

Since then, both Kyiv and Moscow have periodically accused each other of attacking it.

All six reactors have been shut down for months, but the plant still needs power and qualified staff to operate crucial cooling systems and other safety features.

Ukraine says it shot down 13 drones during a Russian aerial assault overnight.

The Iranian made Shahed drones were intercepted by Ukrainian anti-aircraft units in Kherson, Dnipropetrovsk, Poltava, Vinnytsia, Khmelnytskyi, Ternopil and Ivano-Frankivsk oblasts, according to the Ukrainian Air Force.

The unmanned aerial vehicles were launched from Cape Chauda in Russian-occupied Crimea and the port town of Primorsko-Akhtarsk, on the coast of the Sea of Azov, according to commander Mykola Oleshchuk.

The drones were reportedly targetting infrastructure.

No damages or casualties were recorded.