Ukraine war latest: Zelenskyy pleads with allies for help after deadly Russian strikes (2024)

Key points
  • Russia unleashes missile and drone barrage across Ukraine
  • At least three dead as 15 regions hit - with explosions heard in Kyiv
  • Zelenskyy pleads with allies for help - as Kremlin issues warning
  • Catch-up:What you need to know this morning
  • Watch:Who are Ukraine's secret resistance?
  • Your questions answered:Can Ukraine advance further inside Russia?
  • Live reporting by Faith Ridler

10:44:11

Zelenskyy responds to Russian strikes - as Kremlin appears to rule out ceasefire talks

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has just responded to this morning's barrage of Russian strikes on his country.

He says more than 100 missiles have been used, and around 100 drones, and has called upon Western allies to provide air defence resources.

Earlier, his chief of staff asked them to allow long-range use of their weapons on targets inside Russia.

The Ukrainian foreign minister also wants his country's allies to help shoot down Russian drones and missiles that veer close to their airspace (see 9.34 post)

Moscow has targeted 15 regions of Ukraine this morning, including Kyiv, where people have been sheltering in underground metro stations after explosions were heard.

Mr Zelenskyy said in a post on Telegram there was "a lot of damage in the energy sector".

Kremlin: Ceasefire talks have 'lost relevance'

The Kremlin, meanwhile, has said the attacks were targeting energy infrastructure vital to Ukraine's war effort.

It also said any prospect of ceasefire talks with Kyiv had "lost its relevance" and warned of further response to the incursion into Kursk.

12:05:24

'Military object' entered Polish airspace today

A "military object" entered Polish airspace during the Russian attack on Ukraine this morning, reports have claimed.

It comes amid the largest Russian strike on Ukraine in weeks, with Moscow targeting energy infrastructure in three regions.

The Polish state news agency, PAP, reported that searches for the object, which was not amissile, are under way.

12:00:01

Exclusive: How the covert Ukrainian resistance movement is operating behind Russian lines

By Deborah Haynes, security and defence editor

One of the most secret weapons to combat Russia's invasion of Ukraine has started to raise its profile.

A new video posted on social media seeks to promote the covert activities of a network of*ckrainiancivilians, living - and fighting - behindRussianlines.

Run by the Ukrainian special forces, this resistance movement is growing, according to its commander, who said any adult - old, young, male, female - can join.

They just need to be loyal to Ukraine - and brave.

11:30:01

British citizen found dead after 'Russian missile strike' in eastern Ukraine

A British citizen - who was working for Reuters - has been found dead after a suspected Russian airstrike in eastern Ukraine, the news agency confirmed.

Ryan Evans, who was a safety advisor for the news agency, was found dead under the rubble of Hotel Sapphire in the eastern city of Kramatorsk - which is under Ukrainian control but near the front line - on Sunday.

Ukrainian authorities reported that Russian forces struck the hotel in the eastern Donetsk region. Russia has not yet commented.

In a statement, Reuters said: "We are devastated to learn that Reuters safety advisor Ryan Evans, who was with our reporting team inUkraine, has been killed.

"Ryan was part of a Reuters crew staying at Hotel Sapphire in Kramatorsk, eastern Ukraine, when it was hit in a missile strike on Saturday, August 24, 2024.'

11:00:01

Who are Ukraine's secret resistance?

A new video posted on social media seeks to promote the covert activities of a network of Ukrainian civilians, living - and fighting - behind Russian lines.

Run by the Ukrainian special forces, this resistance movement is growing, according to its commander, who said any adult - old, young, male, female - can join.

Below, Sky News explains more...

10:30:01

What you need to know this morning

It's already been a busy morning of news from Ukraine, which has reported a significant drone and missile attack across the country.

Three people have been reported dead.

If you're just joining us, here's what you need to know:

  • Russian forces unleashed a massive drone and missile barrage on Ukraine early on Monday;
  • At least three people were reported killed in the attack, which appeared to target energy infrastructure;
  • The attack began at around midnight and continued after dawn in what appeared to be Russia's biggest attack against Ukraine in weeks;
  • According to the Ukrainian air force, there were multiple groups of Russian drones moving towards eastern, northern, southern, and central regions of Ukraine, followed by multiple cruise and ballistic missiles;
  • Explosions were heard in the capital, Kyiv, and power and water supplies in the city have been disrupted, the city's mayor, Vitalii Klitschko, said;
  • Ihor Polishchuk, mayor of Ukraine's western city of Lutsk, said a multi-storey residential building and an unspecified infrastructure object were hit and one person was killed;
  • Another person was killed in the central Dnipropetrovsk region, where the attack sparked multiple fires, regional head Serhii Lysak said;
  • One person was also killed in the south-eastern, partially occupied region of Zaporizhzhia, regional head Ivan Fedorov said.

10:26:18

Russia confirms wave of attacks on Ukraine

The Russian military has said it used high-precision weapons to strike energy infrastructure in Ukraine this morning.

Moscow claimed these sites support the Ukrainian military.

Meanwhile, Ukraine has said it shot down around 15 missiles and drones that were targeting Kyiv earlier on Monday.

10:00:01

Your questions answered: Can Ukraine advance further inside Russia?

Ukraine does not appear to be letting up on its surprise invasion of the Kursk border region in Russia which began earlier this month.

Readers have been sending in their questions to our senior correspondents and military experts for their take on what could happen next.

Today, Justice asks:

Will Ukraine be able to advance more inside Russia?

Military analystSean Bellsays this…

Ukraine's audacious military incursion into Russia's Kursk region - the first such action by a military power since 1941 - appears to have caught Vladimir Putin by surprise.

Although it is unclear what Ukraine is ultimately seeking to achieve, it has stated it does not intend to "hold" ground, so its current occupation is temporary.

But what next? If Ukraine had planned to push further into Russia it would probably not have blown three key bridges across the Siem river which would have been vital to its further plans.

What's the goal?

Instead, it looks likely Ukraine was seeking to seize the initiative, to demonstrate Russia is not in control of the war, and to force Moscow to respond to the attack by transferring forces from the frontline in the Donbas, thus relieving pressure on embattled Ukrainian forces.

Destroying the bridges would make it more difficult for Russia to counterattack and expel Ukrainian forces.

Although Ukraine could push further into Russia, it would create an increasing logistics challenge to keep those forces resupplied, and also divert scarce resources from the front line.

Militarily the incursion into Kursk might appear risky, but it is probably designed to apply political pressure on Mr Putin, albeit we have yet to see whether the military or political objective prevails.

09:34:20

Ukraine urges Western allies to permit use of long-range weapons on Russia

A top Ukrainian official is calling on allies to allow long-range attacks on Russia with Western-supplied weapons in the wake of today's strikes.

Russia launched a barrage of missiles and drones at Ukraine this morning, in one of the largest attacks on the country in weeks.

At least three people have been reported dead, with energy infrastructure allegedly targeted in three Ukrainian regions.

There have also been reports of disruption to water supply in Kyiv.

Andriy Yermak, the Ukrainian president's chief of staff, has asked Western allies to allow long-range use of their weapons.

So far in the war with Russia, this has not been permitted.

Mr Yermak said: "Such a decision will accelerate the end of Russian terror."

Foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba has also asked Ukraine's allies to go further, calling on them to help shoot down Russian drones and missiles over Ukrainian territory that veer close to their airspace.

09:15:01

In pictures: Aftermath of 'Ukrainian drone attack' in Russia

These photographs detail the aftermath of what was allegedly a Ukrainian drone strike on the Saratov region of Russia early on Monday morning.

Russian officials say that homes were damage and flights have been restricted in the region after the strike, which injured one woman.

Moscow claims it destroyed nine drones over the area, which is around 560 miles from the Russian border with Ukraine.

Kyiv has yet to respond to allegations of strikes on Russia today.

Ukraine war latest: Zelenskyy pleads with allies for help after deadly Russian strikes (2024)

FAQs

Why is Russia fighting with Ukraine? ›

The ongoing Russo-Ukrainian War began in February 2014. Following Ukraine's Revolution of Dignity, Russia occupied and annexed Crimea from Ukraine and supported pro-Russian separatists fighting the Ukrainian military in the Donbas War. These first eight years of conflict also included naval incidents and cyberwarfare.

Has Russia and Ukraine war been going on for the last seven months? ›

Russia and Ukraine war has been going on for the last seven months. Different countries have taken independent stands and actions keeping in view their own national interests. We are all aware that war has its own impact on the different aspects of society, including human tragedy.

When did Ukraine invade Russia in 2024? ›

After small but steady gains for Russia in eastern Ukraine in the first half of 2024, Ukraine launched a cross-border incursion into Russia's Kursk Oblast in August of that year.

When did Ukraine break away from Russia? ›

Ukraine became independent when the Soviet Union dissolved in 1991. This started a period of transition to a market economy, in which Ukraine suffered an eight-year recession. Subsequently however, the economy experienced a high increase in GDP growth until it plunged during the Great Recession.

Why is Russia opposed to Ukraine joining NATO? ›

Russia accused Ukraine of a military build-up of its own and demanded "legal guarantees" that it would never join NATO.

How many tanks does Russia have left? ›

The IISS Military Balance 2024 report says Russia has around 1,750 tanks of various types—including more than 200 of the T-90 variety—remaining, with up to 4,000 tanks in storage.

How long does the average war last? ›

Most conflicts are brief. Over the last two centuries, most wars have lasted an average of three to four months. That brevity owes much to the fact that war is the worst way to settle political differences. As the costs of fighting become apparent, adversaries usually look for a settlement.

How long is Ukraine in miles? ›

Total Area and Population Size of Ukraine

Altogether, the square mileage comes to a sum of 233,031 square miles. As a country divided into twenty-four oblasts, two municipalities, and one autonomous republic, Ukraine is 784.93 miles wide and 346.4 miles long.

What language is spoken in Ukraine? ›

The official language of Ukraine is Ukrainian, a Slavic language, which is spoken regularly by 88% of Ukraine's population at home in their personal life, and as high as 87% at work or study. It is followed by Russian which is spoken by 34% in their personal life.

How much artillery does Russia have left? ›

Russia has staggering amounts of artillery, both in the field and in reserve. A February 2024 report from RUSI estimated that Russia had just under 5,000 artillery pieces in the field, of which about 1,000 are self-propelled guns on tracked vehicles, the rest being old-fashioned towed artillery.

Was Ukraine part of Russia? ›

Most of Ukraine fell to Russian rule in the 18th century. In the aftermath of World War I and the Russian Revolution of 1917, most of the Ukrainian region became a republic of the Soviet Union, though parts of western Ukraine were divided between Poland, Romania, and Czechoslovakia.

What was Russia called before Russia? ›

The Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic renamed itself as the Russian Federation and became the primary successor state to the Soviet Union. Russia retained its nuclear arsenal but lost its superpower status.

Was Ukraine its own country before WWII? ›

Ukraine first declared its independence with the invasion of Bolsheviks in late 1917. Following the conclusion of World War I and with the Peace of Riga, Ukraine was partitioned once again between Poland and the Bolshevik Russia.

Who did Crimea originally belong to? ›

The autonomous republic was dissolved in 1945, and Crimea became an oblast of the Russian SFSR. It was transferred to the Ukrainian SSR in 1954, on the 300th anniversary of the Treaty of Pereyaslav.

Why did Russia and Ukraine become enemies? ›

Relations between the two countries became hostile after the 2014 Ukrainian revolution, which was followed by Russia's annexation of Crimea from Ukraine, and the war in Donbas, in which Russia backed the separatist fighters of the Donetsk People's Republic and the Luhansk People's Republic.

What is so important about Ukraine? ›

Ukraine is a key regional strategic partner that has undertaken significant efforts to modernize its military and increase its interoperability with NATO. It remains an urgent security assistance priority to provide Ukraine the equipment it needs to defend itself against Russia's war against Ukraine.

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