A Russian missile strike killed dozens in a village near the eastern Ukrainian city of Kupiansk on Thursday, officials say, in what would be one of the deadliest attacks against civilians since the conflict began.
A number of Russian naval ships?have been relocated?to other ports in the Black Sea following several devastating?Ukrainian missile strikes on the Crimean port?of Sevastopol, satellite images show.
US President Joe Biden is concerned failing efforts to approve arms for Ukraine amid political upheaval in Congress could become a serious battlefield concern.
When asked about the prospect of dwindling aid from Washington, Zelensky said “It’s too late to worry.” He told reporters at a European summit on Thursday that the US is dealing with a “difficult election period.”
Ukraine says Russia launched one of its most devastating attacks of the war today. Here's what to know
A Russian missile strike killed at least 51 people, including a child,?in a village?near the eastern Ukrainian city of Kupiansk on Thursday, officials say.
It marks one of the deadliest attacks against civilians reported by Ukraine since the conflict began, and it came without a conceivable military target, according to a top Ukrainian police official.
Here’s what we know about the devastating strike:
The missile hit the small town of Hroza: The village has a population of only about 300 residents, according to Ukrainian officials. The attack struck a grocery store and a cafe around midday local time.
Dozens of people were killed: The bodies of at least 51 people killed by the strike, including a 6-year-old boy, were removed from the destroyed buildings throughout the day, said Oleh Syniehubov, a regional military official. The death toll in such a small community means one of every six residents were killed.
Ukraine says there was no military target: There was not “a single military object” in?Hroza when the missile struck, and all the victims were civilians, the chief investigator with?Kharkiv’s regional police told CNN. He said the attack would be used as evidence in a war crimes case against Russia’s military.
The attack is among the worst of the war: Even by the grim standards set by Russia’s full-scale invasion, the death toll was severe. Ukrainian authorities have not reported devastation on this scale since an attack on a railway station?in Kramatorsk?in early 2022 killed more than 60 people.
Zelensky and the Biden administration call for more US aid: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reiterated his call for more air defenses from allies, saying it is “impossible to protect people” without more support, especially ahead of anticipated winter bombardments. The White House, meanwhile, pointed to the attack as another example of why Congress needs to approve more US aid for Ukraine.
And here are two other key storylines from the war today:
Putin makes new claim on Prigozhin: Investigators found hand grenade fragments in the remains of those killed when Wagner chief?Yevgeny Prigozhin’s plane crashed?in August, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday, claiming the probe has shown “no external influence” downed the aircraft. The US and Ukraine have expressed skepticism at the Kremlin’s claims it had nothing to do with the mercenary leader Prigozhin’s demise, which came just two months after his short-lived mutiny against the Kremlin. Prigozhin had played a key role in Russia’s war on Ukraine before his conflicts with the Moscow establishment came to a head.
Ukraine waits out a “political storm” in Washington: At a political summit in Spain, Zelensky urged European leaders to continue their support of Ukraine while the US goes through the “growing political storm” of a leadership crisis in Congress, which has left US aid to Kyiv on hold. Zelensky said the uncertainty in Washington is “dangerous,” but that he has faith in the coalition helping resist Russia’s invasion.
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Putin claims Russia's war in Ukraine is?not a conflict over territory but about principles
From CNN’s Mariya Knight?
Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed that war in Ukraine is not a conflict over territory.
According to?Putin,?Russia “still has much to do to properly develop Siberia, Eastern Siberia, and the Russian Far East.”?
The president?reiterated that Russia was not “attempting to establish regional geopolitical balance.”?
Instead, Putin said the issue was “about the principles underlying the new international order.”?
This denial of these principles, one of them being “a balance in the world where no one can unilaterally force or compel others to live or behave as a hegemon pleases” is what causes conflicts, Putin said,?seemingly referring to the West.?
Western elites “need an enemy to justify the need for military action and expansion” and made Moscow into one, Putin added.
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There wasn't a single military target in the village hit by devastating Russian strike, investigator says
From CNN's Vasco Cotovio, Radina Gigova and Svitlana Vlasova
“We have registered a criminal proceeding over this and are investigating it,” Bolvinov added, saying a wide range of agencies are currently working in the village.
Authorities have recovered parts?of a missile at the scene, he said.
Bolvinov repeated earlier reports that the strike was carried out with an Iskander ballistic missile, which Russia has commonly used in Ukraine and has a relatively short range.
“Iskander is definitely a big missile. You can see behind me that the building is completely destroyed. People were in the same room at that time, and as a result of the explosion, a very large number of people died,”?Bolvinov said.?
Ukrainian president calls for support: In his evening address Thursday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said about 300 residents lived in the village, and more than 50 of them were killed in the Russian attack — one of every six residents.?
“Russian terror must fail. And the world has what it takes to ensure this,” the president continued. “The main thing is unity. The main thing is to believe in freedom and protect life.”
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Russian missile hit cafe as wake was underway for fallen Ukrainian soldier, official says
From CNN's Svitlana Vlasova and Radina Gigova?
A Russian missile attack that killed dozens of people Thursday struck a cafe in the village of Hroza that was hosting a wake for a fallen soldier,?a Ukrainian official told media outlet?RBC.??
The soldier’s son, wife and mother were killed in the strike, said Dmytro Chubenko, spokesperson for the Kharkiv Regional Prosecutor’s Office.
Ukrainian officials said at least 51 people died, including an 8-year-old boy, and six people were injured, when the cafe and a nearby grocery were struck.?It was one of the deadliest attacks against civilians since the conflict began.
The fallen Ukrainian soldier?had previously been buried in the city of Dnipro, but his relatives wanted him to be reburied in his home village,?Chubenko said.
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Putin says hand grenade fragments were discovered in remains of people on Prigozhin’s plane
From CNN's Mariya Knight?
A specialist works at the site of a crash of the private jet linked to Yevgeny?Prigozhin?in the Tver region, Russia, on August 24.
Anton Vaganov/Reuters
Investigators found hand grenade fragments in the remains of those killed when Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin’s plane crashed in August, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday, claiming the probe has shown “no external influence” downed the aircraft.
The country’s Investigative Committee “reported a few days ago that the fragments of hand grenades were found in the bodies of the victims,” Putin said during a?meeting of the Valdai Discussion Club in the Russian city of Sochi.
“There was no external influence on the plane; it is an established fact,” the Russian leader claimed.
Putin added that the investigation into the crash is still ongoing.
Key context: The crash that killed the mercenary leader and seven other people came months after Prigozhin launched?a brief rebellion that posed an unprecedented challenge to Putin’s authority. The mutiny was suddenly called off in a deal that required the Wagner chief and his fighters to relocate to Belarus.
Speculation about Prigozhin’s eventual fate began soon after his march on?Russia, and he eventually joined a long line of Putin critics who met an early death.
There is no concrete evidence that points to Kremlin involvement and, officially, the cause of the crash is unknown.?Russia has denied any involvement in downing the plane. Shortly after the crash, it said it was launching an official investigation into the cause of the crash, and Putin said his comments Thursday reflected the results of that probe.
“This is why we’re doing everything that we can to help Ukraine, to help the brave people of Ukraine to fight for their freedom,” Jean-Pierre added.
The press secretary said that, during the recent US government funding fight, President Joe Biden had pushed for the US to “continue to support the people of Ukraine, because this is the horrifying nature that they live in every day.”
Jean-Pierre called on Congress to now act on additional funding, after the short-term spending bill passed last weekend left out any new funding for Kyiv’s war effort.
The press secretary said the administration is working another Ukraine aid package that includes new weapons and equipment. “We’re going to continue to make sure that we meet the battlefield needs that Ukraine has,” she told reporters.
More on the attack: Ukrainian officials say the devastating strike hit the grocery store and a cafe nearby Thursday afternoon. It marks?one of the deadliest attacks against civilians to be reported since the conflict began. At least 51 people are dead, according to Ukrainian officials, who say the toll may still rise as workers clear the rubble.
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Zelensky calls for more air defenses following a deadly attack on a village in the Kupiansk district
From CNN's Svitlana Vlasova and Radina Gigova
Rescues work at a site of a Russian military strike in Kupiansk on Thursday.
Vyacheslav Madiyevskyy/Reuters
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reiterated his call for more air defenses following a Russian strike in the village of Hroza in Kupiansk district, which left at least 51 people dead.?
During meetings with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Zelensky said he is focused on Ukraine’s need for air defense and thinks a lot of progress has been made for the support needed.
He said Ukraine will receive?six Hawk systems from Spain and that Germany will work to provide Kyiv with another Patriot system. Zelensky said he believes that the Patriot system is “the only system that can withstand such threats and such massacres.”
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Russia has successfully tested a new nuclear-powered strategic missile, Putin says
From CNN's Tim Lister and Sergey Gudkov
Vladimir?Putin?delivers a speech at the Valdai Discussion Club in Sochi, Russia, on Thursday.
Grigory Sysoyev/Pool/Sputnik/Reuters
Russia has successfully tested a new generation of nuclear-powered cruise missile, President Vladimir Putin said Thursday.
The “last successful test of the Burevestnik, a global-range cruise missile with a nuclear installation, a nuclear propulsion system, has been conducted,” state news agency RIA Novosti quoted Putin as saying at the?Valdai?Discussion Club forum in the southern Russian city of Sochi.
Putin told the country’s Federal Assembly that missiles like the Burevestnik would help ensure a strategic balance in the world for decades to come.
Reported failures: However, Western analysts say the program has since run into trouble, with a number of failed tests. In 2019, the Nuclear Threat Initiative, an open source analytical group, said “there is a consensus in the press, with purported agreement from U.S. intelligence services, that the Burevestnik has been tested 13 times, with two partial successes.”
Russian military expert Alexei Leonkov described the Burevestnik as a weapon of retaliation, which Russia would use after intercontinental ballistic missiles to fully destroy military and civilian infrastructure and leave no chance of survival, according to the analytical group.
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At least 51 killed in Russian strike near Kupiansk, Ukraine says
From CNN's Tim Lister and Svitlana Vlasova?
Rescuers work at a site of a Russian military strike in the village of Hroza, in Kharkiv region, Ukraine, on October 5.
Andriy Yermak/Telegram/Reuters
At least 51 people have been killed in a Russian strike that hit a grocery store near Kupiansk Thursday, Ukrainian Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said, adding that the latest fatality came after one of the injured people died while receiving treatment.
The death toll may rise as the rubble is still being cleared, according to Dmytro Chubenko, a spokesperson with the Prosecutor’s Office in Kharkiv region.
Shortly after 1 p.m. local time, Russian forces shelled a cafe and shop in the village of Hroza in the Kupiansk district, according to Oleh Syniehubov, head of the Kharkiv region military administration. Hroza is about 40 kilometers (24 miles) from the frontlines near Kupiansk.
The strike appears to be the deadliest against Ukraine’s civilian population since an attack on Kramatorsk railway station early in 2022. It’s unclear what weapon was used. Ukrainian officials have used different terms to describe the attack.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said, who is on a visit to Spain, called the attack “a demonstrably brutal Russian crime — a rocket attack on an ordinary grocery store, a completely deliberate terrorist attack.”
“Russian terror must be stopped. Anyone who helps Russia circumvent sanctions is a criminal. Everyone who still supports Russia is supporting evil. Russia needs this and similar terrorist attacks for one thing only: to make its genocidal aggression the new normal for the whole world,” Zelensky said.
“According to preliminary findings, the facility was hit with an Iskander [missile],” Klymenko said.
Some background: The Iskander is a ballistic missile with a relatively short range that depending on configuration carries a warhead of between 500?and 700 kilograms (about 1100 to 1500 lbs). Russia has extensively used it against Ukraine, causing substantial civilian casualties.
The death toll has been updated to reflect the latest information from authorities.
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Zelensky urges European leaders to continue support while US sees a "growing political storm"
From CNN's Tim Lister
President Volodymyr Zelensky speaks at the European Political Community Summit in Granada, Spain, on October 5.
Ukrainian Presidency/SIPA/Shutterstock
At a European political summit in Spain, President Volodymyr Zelensky urged European leaders to continue their support of Ukraine while the US goes through the “growing political storm” of leadership crisis in the US Congress.
“Now Europe is following the developments in America – the growing political storm. Europe has its own potential for strength, and its global role, which should be as powerful as possible in all key issues that are important for Europe,” he said.
Expressing confidence in US institutions and the country’s leadership’s resolve to support Ukraine against Russia, he urged European leaders to continue the work through uncertain times.
“America helped us – helped Europe to survive. And now it is important for Europe?not?to hide sails from the wind trying to wait?out the storm, but to be together in this uncertain time – to work united, and protect our values and our common space of liberty – in common with the US,” he said.
“We must not allow Putin to destabilize any other parts of the world and our partners in order to ruin Europe’s power. We must continue to put pressure with sanctions, politically and economically, so that Russia cannot spread chaos,” Zelensky added.
Speaking to reporters at the summit, Zelensky later added that while uncertainty in the US presents challenges for Ukraine, the country has proven its resilience throughout the war.
Some background: Zelensky was speaking against a background of growing tensions among the international coalition supporting Ukraine, following the election of a party in Slovakia that opposes further aid to Ukraine, a row with Poland over farm exports and a warning from the Italian Prime Minister that public support in her country might begin to wane.
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It's mid-afternoon in Kyiv. Here's what you need to know
From CNN staff
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky looked for reassurance from Western leaders on Thursday, as political upheaval in the US Congress and drained ammunition stocks among NATO countries threaten the flow of military aid to Ukraine.
Here are the latest developments:
“We have to work on it”: Zelensky insisted “it’s too late to worry” when asked about the removal of?House Speaker Kevin McCarthy?from Congress on Tuesday, which could stall legislative approval for US aid for Ukraine. He made the comments during a surprise visit to the European Political Community Summit, in southern Spain.
Zelensky urges European unity: The Ukrainian leader said he spoke about a new defense package with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, and reaffirmed ties with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, on Thursday, telling reporters Europe’s “biggest challenge” will be to preserve its “unity” in the face of Russia’s invasion.
Support hangs in the balance: Meloni said on Wednesday she will continue to back Ukraine but is aware of waning public support for sending aid. “It is clear that war generates consequences that greatly impact our society, and if we are not good at dealing with them, public opinion will continue to wear thin,” she cautioned.
Russia repositions ships in the Black Sea: Satellite imagery indicates a number of Russian naval ships?have been relocated?to other ports in the Black Sea, following several devastating?Ukrainian missile strikes on the Crimean port?of Sevastopol. At least a dozen ships now appear to be moored at Novorossiysk, Russia’s largest port.
Deadly shelling in Kherson: A 60-year-old woman and a 54-year-old utility worker were killed in bombardments in Kherson on Thursday, as Russian forces increased attacks on the southern Ukrainian city. Russia shelled the Kherson region 78 times in the past 24 hours,?according to Oleksandr Prokudin, a regional military official.
Russia launches dozens of airstrikes: Russia launched more than 60 airstrikes at?military and civilian targets in Ukraine over the past 24 hours, Ukrainian military officials said Thursday. Moscow’s forces shelled more than 140 settlements in the Chernihiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions.
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Russia will have a naval base off the coast of Georgian breakaway region
From Tim Lister, Anna Chernova,?Paul Murphy,?Gianluca Mezzofiore and Maria Kostenko
The leader of the region of Abkhazia, a pro-Russian territory on the Black Sea that broke away from Georgia, says there will be a Russian military base on its coast.
This comes as satellite imagery indicates that a number of Russian naval ships?have been relocated?to other ports in the Black Sea following several devastating Ukrainian missile strikes on the Crimean port of Sevastopol.
CNN can confirm that some of the ships did come from Sevastopol, the home port of Black Sea Fleet, but additional satellite imagery reviewed by CNN shows a number of military vessels remain in that port.?
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Satellite imagery indicates Russia dispersing naval assets to other ports after Sevastopol attacks
From CNN's Tim Lister, Anna Chernova,?Paul Murphy,?Gianluca Mezzofiore and Maria Kostenko
Satellite imagery indicates that a number of Russian naval ships?have been relocated?to other ports in the Black Sea following several devastating Ukrainian missile strikes on the Crimean port of Sevastopol, pictured here on October 3.
BlackSky
Satellite imagery indicates that a number of Russian naval ships?have been relocated?to other ports in the Black Sea following several devastating Ukrainian missile strikes on the Crimean port of Sevastopol.
As many as a dozen ships, including frigates, landing ships and submarines now appear to be moored at Novorossiysk, according to satellite imagery over the past few weeks.
CNN can confirm that some of the ships did come from Sevastopol, the home port of Black Sea Fleet, but additional satellite imagery reviewed by CNN shows a number of military vessels remain in that port.?
The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) commented that imagery from October 1 and October 3 “reportedly shows that Russian forces recently moved the Admiral Makarov and Admiral Essen frigates, three diesel submarines, five landing ships, and several small missile ships” to Novorossiysk.
At least one other ship had been moved to the port of Feodosia in eastern Crimea.?
ISW noted that satellite imagery taken on October 2 shows four Russian landing ships and one Kilo-class submarine remaining in Sevastopol.
Dmytro Pletenchuk, a spokesperson for the Ukrainian Navy, said Thursday that the Black Sea Fleet was “constantly dispersing its ships. They realize that these are our targets and are constantly moving them between several ports.”?
He said four ships were currently in the Black Sea.
Pletenchuk also noted Russian “defense and security efforts around the so-called Crimean Bridge have been reinforced again….Now we see 9 units there - 4 ships and 5 boats of the Border Guard Service, the FSB maritime guard. They are guarding this facility from the north and from the south.”
A Moscow-based institute, the Center for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies, said that the movement of ships was normal. “The Black Sea Fleet once again made a traditional maneuver from Sevastopol to Novorossiysk - all three operational submarines of Project 06363, both frigates of Project 11356, one patrol ship of Project 1135M, five large landing ships, and, apparently, the bulk of small missile ships have moved to Novorossiysk.”
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Zelensky holds “productive” meetings with Italian and Spanish leaders amid?fears of?waning support in the West
From CNN’s Niamh Kennedy and Maria Kostenko
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez speaks with?Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky at the European Political Community Summit in Granada, Spain, on October 5.
Spanish Government/Reuters
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he had “productive” discussions on Thursday with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, on the sidelines of the European Political Community Summit in Granada, in southern Spain.
Zelensky and Sanchez spoke about a new defense support package to Ukraine which will include “additional air defense equipment, artillery, and anti-drone systems,” he said in a post on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter. Zelensky also thanked Spain for its support of Kyiv’s aspirations to join the European Union.
The Ukrainian leader said he also met with his Italian counterpart, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, saying they “reaffirmed the strong Ukrainian-Italian partnership.” He noted that he thanked Italy for its support of Ukraine and “informed the Prime Minister of the progress of our counteroffensive and our priority defense needs. We discussed Italy’s next military aid package, including ways to strengthen our air defense.”
Zelensky told reporters Europe’s “biggest challenge” will be to preserve its “unity,” as an emerging wing of leaders in the region voice opposition to sending aid to Ukraine.
This comes as Slovakia’s former pro-Russia Prime Minister Robert Fico’s populist party?won parliamentary elections. Fico anchored his campaign on his anti-US rhetoric and the promise to stop sending weapons to Ukraine and a pledge to thwart Kyiv’s NATO ambitions.
Meanwhile, tensions between Poland and Ukraine eased, after a grain spat between both countries escalated in September when Warsaw — one of Kyiv’s earliest and most steadfast allies — threatened to stop sending arms to its neighbor.
CNN’s Stephen Collinson contributed reporting.
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Zelensky acknowledges that US is going through a "difficult election period"
From CNN's Niamh Kennedy
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky talks to the press as he arrives at the European Political Community summit at the Palacio de Congreso in Granada, Spain, on October 5.
Jorge Guerrero/AFP/Getty Images
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the United States is going through a “difficult election period,” amid growing concerns about dwindling financial support for Kyiv from Washington.
The wartime leader was asked if he is worried the removal of House Speaker Kevin McCarthy from Congress on Tuesday could stall legislative approval for further US aid for Ukraine.
“I think it’s too late to worry. We have to work on it,” Zelensky stressed, as he made his way to the European Political Community Summit in Granada, in southern Spain.
Zelensky on Thursday acknowledged the US is experiencing a “difficult election period” with many “different” and competing voices, adding that the political situation in Washington will be discussed by European leaders during Thursday’s meeting.
He recounted how during a trip to Washington earlier this year he received a message of “100%” support from US President Joe Biden, alongside strong bipartisan endorsement.?
Some context: There are growing calls from Republican and Democrat lawmakers for the White House to send Congress a single supplemental funding bill for Ukraine that would take American funding for the war in Ukraine through 2024 and past the election, two senior Republican congressional aides previously told CNN.
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Italy will continue to stand by Ukraine, but is mindful of waning public support, prime minister says
From CNN’s Niamh Kennedy?
Giorgia Meloni, President of the Council of Ministers, attends the 2023 Festival of the Regions and Autonomous Provinces on October 3, in Turin, Italy.
Stefano Guidi/Getty Images
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said she will continue to back Ukrainian troops but is aware of waning public support, as Western militaries warned of depleting ammunition stocks to send to Kyiv.
“On aid, we’ve always stood by Ukraine and that’s what we will continue to do, clearly consistent with, on the one hand the requests that come in, and on the other hand the need not to undermine or compromise our security,”?she told CNN affiliate Sky TG in an on-camera interview on Wednesday.
Italy has been a steadfast supporter of Ukraine, so far providing six military support packages and over 165 million euros ($173 million) in humanitarian aid.
“It is clear that war generates consequences that greatly impact our society, and if we are not good at dealing with them, public opinion will continue to wear thin,” Meloni cautioned.
The Italian leader listed inflation, surging energy prices and increased migration as examples of consequences of the war which risk “generating a fatigue in public opinion.”
Some background: Ukraine is facing a potential aid deficit from US and European allies, a predicament that senior officials said could raise serious battlefield concerns amid Russia’s invasion.
US President Joe Biden said on Wednesday he is worried about failed efforts by Congress to approve arms for Kyiv. The historic ouster of House Speaker Kevin McCarthy on Tuesday from the law-making branch of Washington means that legislation cannot be passed until a new leader is installed – potentially delaying military aid for Ukraine.
Meanwhile, NATO and British officials urged the bloc’s nations to increase weapons production because stockpiles may be thin, in a troubling development for allies hoping to maintain a steady flow of aid to Ukraine.
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Two civilians killed in Russian strikes on Kherson
From CNN's Maria Kostenko
At least two people were killed during bombardments in Kherson on Thursday, as Russian forces ramped up strikes targeting the southern Ukrainian city.
A 60-year-old woman and a 54-year-old utility worker, who was pruning trees, died during the attacks, Oleksandr Prokudin, the head of Kherson region military administration, posted on Telegram.
An artillery shell had landed in the city at 9:30 a.m. local time (2:30 a.m. ET), according to Produkin.
Moscow’s troops have intensified deadly attacks in Kherson in recent weeks, amid Ukrainian fire on Russian units in occupied parts of the region.
Russia shelled the Kherson region 78 times in the past 24 hours, aiming 25 artillery shells at the city of Kherson alone, Produkin said. Moscow’s forces used weapons including mortars, artillery, multiple launch rocket systems, tanks, aircraft, drones, and missiles.
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Russia launches dozens of airstrikes, Ukrainian officials say
From CNN's Maria Kostenko and Alex Stambaugh?
Russia launched more than 60 airstrikes at?military and civilian targets in Ukraine over the past 24 hours, Ukrainian military officials said Thursday.
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine also said Russian forces shelled more than 140 settlements in the Chernihiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions.
Here’s what else Ukrainian military officials said:
Zaporizhzhia: Ukrainian troops successfully repelled Russian attacks near Novodarivka, Verbove and Robotyne in the southern Zaporizhzhia region, the General Staff said. Ukrainian forces are also conducting “offensive operations” in the Melitopol sector, the officials added.
Kherson: Ukrainian forces pushed back against the Russians “destroying ammunition depots and successfully striking at the enemy’s rear,” in the southern region, the General Staff said.?
Eastern Ukraine: Ukrainian forces repelled an attack north of?Zybyne in the Kupiansk sector of the Kharkiv region, as well as attacks in the Lyman sector in the areas east of Makiivka, Luhansk region and northwest of Dibrova in Donetsk.
Donetsk: Elsewhere in the Donetsk region, Russian forces unsuccessfully tried to regain ground near?Hryhorivka, Klishchiivka and Andriivka around the embattled city of Bakhmut, the General Staff said. “Defense forces continue assault operations south of Bakhmut in Donetsk region, inflicting losses in manpower and equipment on the enemy, and consolidating the achieved positions,” the officials said.?
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Zelensky arrives in Spain for?surprise European summit appearance
From CNN’s?Maria Kostenko?and?Manveena Suri?
The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, arrives at the Palacio de Congresos de Granada to participate in the summit of the European Political Community (EPC), on October 5, in Granada, Spain.
Alex Zea/Europa Press/Getty Images
Ukrainian President Volodymyr?Zelensky arrived in southern Spain on Thursday for an unannounced appearance at the European Political Community Summit.
“Our joint goal is to ensure the security and stability of our common European home,” Zelensky wrote on X, formerly Twitter, to announce his arrival in the city of Granada.
“We are working together with partners on enhancing the European security architecture, particularly regional security,” he wrote, adding Ukraine will also “pay special attention” to the Black Sea region along with “joint efforts to strengthen global food security and freedom of navigation.”?
He also spoke about Kyiv’s focus on strengthening Ukraine’s air defenses as winter approaches.
Some context: The first meeting of the European Political Community was held in October 2022, with the leaders primarily discussing the war in Ukraine and global energy crisis. At last year’s summit, European leaders addressed security issues and areas of cooperation across the continent, with Zelensky advocating for Ukraine to join NATO.
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Russian drone attack hits infrastructure in Ukraine's Kirovohrad region, officials say
From CNN's Maria Kostenko and Alex Stambaugh?
A Russian drone attack hit an infrastructure facility in Ukraine’s?Kirovohrad region overnight, Ukrainian officials said Thursday.
A fire caused by the assault was contained and there are no reports of casualties, according to a Telegram post from Ukraine’s?Defense Forces in the southern region.?
In a post on Telegram Thursday, the Ukrainian Air Force said it destroyed 24 of 29 drones launched by Russia overnight.
Ten drones were destroyed over the Mykolaiv region, nine over Kirovohrad and five over Odesa, according to Ukraine’s Defense Forces.
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Woman wounded after Ukraine fires cluster munitions at border town, Russian official claims
From CNN's Maria Kostenko and Alex Stambaugh?
Ukrainian forces fired cluster munitions at a southwest Russia border town, injuring a woman and damaging houses and cars, a Russian official claimed on Thursday.
In a Telegram post, Kursk region Gov. Roman Starovoit said the victim was hospitalized following the attack on the town of Rylsk, located near to Ukraine’s northeast Sumy region.
Russian authorities also found unexploded ammunition following the attack, he claimed.
Earlier, Starovoit said Ukrainian drones hit infrastructure in Kursk, causing power outages.
Ukraine did not immediately comment on the allegations.
Some context: Ukraine pledged not to use cluster munitions?in populated areas after the United States announced it would provide the controversial weapons to Kyiv’s forces in July.
Cluster munitions?scatter “bomblets” across large areas, which has allowed Ukrainian forces to target larger concentrations of Russian forces and equipment with fewer rounds of ammunition.
But the bomblets can also fail to explode on impact and can pose a long-term risk to anyone who encounters them, similar to landmines. The UK, France, Germany and other key US allies have outlawed the munitions under an international treaty — which Ukraine, Russia and the US are not signatories to.
Russia has already used cluster munitions several times in Ukraine, CNN has previously reported, including in densely populated areas.
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Ukrainian drones attack Kursk infrastructure, Russian official says
?From CNN's Alex Stambaugh and Maria Kostenko
Ukrainian drones hit infrastructure in Russia’s southwest Kursk region, causing power outages, a local Russian official said Thursday.?
Emergency crews have already begun restoring power, he added.
Kursk, which shares a border with Ukraine’s northeast Sumy region, is one of several Russian border provinces to report almost daily Ukrainian drone attacks in recent months as the war increasingly spills over into Russian territory.
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Ukraine says shortage of weapons are causing difficulties on the battlefield. Here's what to know
From CNN staff
As the future of the United States’ congressionally-approved assistance for Ukraine?remains in question, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Kyiv “will do everything”?to maintain support from the US and Europe in its fight against Russia’s full-scale invasion.
Meantime, allies are warning they are running low on ammunition and are ramping up production — the same shortages Zelensky says are creating challenges on the battlefield.
Here’s the latest:
US aid concerns:?The?ousting?of US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has cast?fresh doubt?on the future of American aid for Ukraine. President Joe Biden said Wednesday he is concerned as he?works to secure new funding, but he argued that it remains in Americans’ interest to continue supporting Ukraine. The leading contenders vying for the speakership have voiced different positions on Ukraine.?
Zelensky rallies support:?The Ukrainian president said he believes Russia is now weaker than it was at the beginning of the war, so pausing the support or turning the fighting into a frozen conflict ?would mean helping the aggressor.?His comments come in the context of disarray within the Republican ranks on Capitol Hill. Zelensky reiterated that “for the most part” there is bipartisan support for Ukraine.
Iranian arms:?The US said it will transfer thousands of?seized Iranian weapons?and ammunition rounds to Ukraine, which could help to alleviate some of the critical shortages. The Biden administration has for months been weighing how to legally?send the seized weapons, which are stored in US facilities across the Middle East.
NATO backing:?NATO is?reaffirming its long-term support?to Kyiv after a meeting of the new defense council between the military alliance and Ukraine. A statement said allies will continue to assist and that Ukraine is “closer to NATO than ever before.”??
Southern battles:?Both Russian and Ukrainian units are trying to take territory around the southern villages of?Verbove and Novoprokovika, Ukrainian military officials say. Ukraine has had “partial success” in Robotyne in the Zaporizhzhia region, according to Oleksandr Shtupun, spokesperson for Ukraine’s forces in the south. Though progress has been slow, Russian forces are suffering losses of manpower and equipment there, Shtupun said.
Cross-border attacks:?Drones operated by Ukraine’s Security Service successfully took out a?high-value Russian air defense complex?in the region of Belgorod early Wednesday, sources say. Belgorod borders northeastern Ukraine. Last month, Ukraine?successfully targeted?an air defense complex in Crimea.
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Biden concerned about Ukraine funding — and is searching for ways to keep aid flowing
From CNN's Kevin Liptak,?MJ Lee,?Alex Marquardt?and?Natasha Bertrand
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky and U.S. President Joe Biden walk to the Oval Office of the White House on September 21, 2023, in Washington, DC.
Drew Angerer/Getty Images
Senior Biden administration officials privately believe only weeks remain?before a lack of additional Ukraine funding starts to become a serious battlefield concern — a scenario they are trying to avoid?with public warnings and a major speech from President Joe Biden himself.
The race for the House speakership?set off by the historic ouster of Kevin McCarthy?on Tuesday portends potentially serious consequences for Biden’s efforts to secure Ukraine funding, leaving the administration looking for solutions.
Publicly, officials say they remain convinced the majority of Americans — including in Congress — support sustained assistance for Ukraine. Yet the maneuvering this week demonstrates the persistent concern that American assistance to Kyiv could soon slow. Biden on Wednesday hinted that administration officials have been searching for workaround methods of providing Ukraine assistance should the White House’s funding requests go unmet.
Administration officials have been warning Congress it must urgently approve additional funds to aid Ukraine’s war efforts — “obviously time is of the essence,” stressed one official.
Yet without even the chance for a vote on a new speaker until at least next week — and no clear pathway for a vote on new Ukraine assistance after that — the prospects of a new assistance package in the near-term appear slim.
Privately, officials believe a weekslong period where Congress were to hypothetically operate without a permanent House speaker — and not be able to legislate — would not be hugely concerning as it pertains to Ukraine funding.
Much more troubling, they said, would be if lawmakers begin to approach the end of the length of the most recently passed continuing resolution — which runs out November 17 — without any realistic prospects of approving additional funding for Ukraine.
Feeling the urgency, Biden told reporters Wednesday he was planning an address laying out the imperative of continued support for Ukraine.
“I’m going to make the argument that it’s overwhelmingly in the interests of the United States of America that Ukraine succeed,” he said. White House officials provided no other details about the speech, including when Biden might deliver it.
Ukraine slowly pushing Russia out — but shortage of weapons poses difficulties, Zelensky says?
From CNN's Svitlana Vlasova and Radina Gigova
Ukraine is “slowly but surely” pushing Russia out of its land, but the shortage of weapons and ammunition poses difficulties, Ukraine’s president said.
He said there is a “deficit in air defense” which is important for the counteroffensive but also to protect the population.
The approaching winter could pose another challenge for Ukrainians, including “all our citizens, all our civilians, ordinary people who work and our soldiers,” he said.
Speaking about engaging in possible negotiations with Moscow, Zelensky said Russian President Vladimir Putin “is not capable of negotiating anything with anyone,” citing Russia’s withdrawal in July from the Black Sea grain deal brokered by the United Nations and Turkey.
“Even after he gave his promise and agreed with the UN Secretary-General, with [Turkish] President [Recep Tayyip] Erdogan, he still jumped out of this [grain] initiative,” Zelensky said.?
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Ukraine "will do everything" to maintain support from US and Europe, Zelensky says
From CNN's Radina Gigova in London
Volodymyr Zelensky speaks during a bilateral meeting with US President Joe Biden in the East Room of the White House on September 21, 2023, in Washington, DC.
Drew Angerer/Getty Images
As the ousting of US House speaker Kevin McCarthy cast fresh doubt on the future of American aid for Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelensky said the country “will do everything”?to maintain support from the United States in its fight against Russia’s full-scale invasion.
“The United States is one of the leaders in helping and supporting Ukraine, in protecting democracy. I feel that there is support in the United States. I know that there is 100% support from the White House, there is great support in the Congress — it’s really powerful, bipartisan,” Zelensky said in an interview Wednesday with Italian channel?Sky TG24.
Zelensky said he believes Russia is now weaker than it was at the beginning of the war, so pausing the support or turning the fighting into a frozen conflict in some way, would mean helping the aggressor.
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Heavy fighting reported on the southern front in Ukraine with neither side gaining ground
From CNN's Tim Lister, Svitlana Vlasova and Maria Kostenko
Reports of fighting in southern Ukraine suggest intense battles in the area around the villages of Verbove and Novoprokovika, with both Russian and Ukrainian units trying to take territory.
“We had partial success in the areas west of Robotyne in the Zaporizhzhia region. There, our soldiers have seen the occupation forces suffer losses in both manpower and equipment,” Oleksandr Shtupun, spokesperson for the Ukraine forces in the south, said Wednesday.
“We continue to gain a foothold in the defended areas and continue to deplete the enemy in that direction.?Let’s just say that we have advanced from 100 to 600 meters in certain areas,” Shtupun said on Ukrainian television.
In the past few weeks, gains and losses in the area have been measured in a few hundred meters, as Ukrainian forces try to break through multiple Russian defensive barriers and make progress toward the important hub of Tokmak.
Shtupun said that “in the Melitopol direction, we are slowly putting pressure,” and 25 Russian soldiers had surrendered in the past few days.
From the Russian side, one prominent military blogger, WarGonzo, said the “Ukrainian troops, with massive artillery support, are attacking (the village of) Novoprokopivka.”
“The Russian Armed Forces were forced to level the front line on the northern approaches to the settlement. In turn, they counterattacked from Verbove and Novofedorivka. In the first of the listed areas they managed to push back the Ukrainian Armed Forces,” the blogger said.
Ukraine’s strategy has been to hollow out Russian defensive units in the area with long-range artillery.?On Tuesday, the Ukrainian military said Russian forces unsuccessfully attempted to recapture lost positions west of Verbove and southeast of Mala Tokmachka.?
Here’s the latest map of control:
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Ukraine claims to have destroyed advanced Russian air defense complex in Belgorod
From CNN's Victoria Butenko
Ukrainian security sources say drones operated by the country’s Security Service (SBU) successfully took out a high-value Russian air defense complex in the region of Belgorod early Wednesday.
“The cause of the nighttime explosions in Belgorod region: the SBU hit the S-400 Triumph air defense system,” a source told CNN.
The S-400 is one of the Russians’ most advanced air defense systems.
The source said videos posted by the Russians “show about 20 explosions at the location of the Triumph and its radar. At the same time, neighboring settlements lost power.”
Belgorod is a Russian region that borders northeastern Ukraine.
Last month, Ukraine?successfully targeted?an S-400 complex in Crimea at the city of Yevpatoria and subsequently carried out a series of missile attacks on the peninsula.
