Ukraine war latest: Baby among seven killed as Putin's blitzes western city - with Poland activating air defences (2024)

These images show the aftermath of the latest Russian strikes on Ukraine.

As we reported in our last post, local officials have said at least seven people have died after strikes on the western city of Lviv, including a baby and two other children.

These pictures come to us from the scene of that strike, near residential buildings in the city.

An update on our 6.21am post, which outlined Russian strikes on Lviv and Kyiv overnight.

At least seven people have died after strikes on the western city of Lviv, including three children, the mayor has now said.

Dozens are thought to be injured, Andriy Sadovy added.

We've no update on casualties from Kyiv, but we'll bring you more as we get it.

Ukraine's foreign minister, Dmytro Kuleba, has resigned, according to the country's parliament speaker.

Ruslan Stefanchuk said the resignation request would be discussedby politicians soon, after Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said changes to the government were being undertaken tostrengthen the country.

Several other government ministers have resigned as part of an expected reshuffle.

Those who handed in their resignations yesterday included strategic industries minister Alexander Kamyshin, justice minister Denys Maliuska, environmental protection minister Ruslan Strilets, deputy prime ministers Olha Stefanishyna and Iryna Vereshchuk, and the head of Ukraine's state property fund Vitaliy Koval.

Yesterday, Volodymyr Zelenskyy outlined his plans for the territory his forces have captured inside Russia.

He said that Ukraine would hold onto Kursk indefinitely, after the surprise attack launched in early August.

Kyiv claims to now control almost 500 square miles (around 1,300 square km) and it has taken hundreds of prisoners of war.

"We don't need their land. We don't want to bring our Ukrainian way of life there," Mr Zelenskyy told NBC News during his first one-on-one interview since the offensive.

Instead, Ukraine will reportedly "hold" the territory as a key part of Mr Zelenskyy's "victory plan" to end the war.

"For now, we need it," he said of Kursk, adding he will present the proposal to hasten the war's end to international partners like the US - where he is due to visit later this month.

During the interview, Mr Zelenskyy refused to rule out seizing more territory. Since the Kursk incursion, Ukraine has had at least one cross-border attack repelled by Russia.

The Ukrainian capital of Kyiv and major city Lviv were again targeted by waves of Russian drones and missiles overnight, authorities report.

Lviv's governor Maksym Kozytskyi noted "loud" noises as witnesses cited by the Reuters news agency reported what they thought sounded like air defences being engaged near the western city and the capital.

Mr Kozytskyi also said residential buildings had been damaged in the attacks, and said at least two people had been killed.

Kyiv's military administration said sirens were sounding because of a threat of missiles "fired from Tu-95MS aircraft".

Neighbouring Poland activated aircraft this morning - for the third time in eight days - to ensure the safety of its airspace.

"This is another very busy night for the entire air defence system in Poland due to the observed activity of the long-range aviation of the Russian Federation carrying out strikes," its air force command said.

Russia has been pounding Ukrainein the past 10 days in what some bloggers and analysts suggest is Moscow's response to Kyiv's recent invasion of the Kursk region.

Welcome back to our live coverage of the Ukraine war.

Yesterday saw Russia carry out one of the deadliest attacks of the war as it struck a military academy and nearby hospital in the central city of Poltava with two ballistic missiles, killing at least 51 people and injuring 271 more.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy said last night that some people were still under the rubble and everything was being done to save as many lives as possible.

Earlier in the day he said"Russian scum" would be held accountable for the deadly strike.

The region is now in three days of mourning over the attack, which Russia is yet to comment on.

Less than a day after the strike on Poltova, Ukrainian authorities said Russia launched an airstrike on the northeastern Sumy region, hitting a university building. There were no immediate reports of any casualties.

Elsewhere, Vladimir Putin received a red-carpet welcome as he visited Mongolia on his first trip to a member country of the International Criminal Court.

The lavish visit came despite the ICC having a warrant out for Mr Putin's arrest on allegations of war crimes - with member countries bound to detain suspects. Mongolia, however, said this would be too difficult as it is dependent on Russian-sourced energy.

Stay with us as we bring you the latest throughout the day today.

That brings an end to our live coverage of the Ukraine war for this evening.

We'll be back with any major developments overnight and our rolling updates will continue soon.

Before we go, here's a reminder of the day's key events:

• Ukrainian authorities said at least 51 people were killed and more than 200 injured in a Russian ballistic missile attack on the central city of Poltava. The missiles hit a military academy and a nearby hospital, officials said;
• Three days of mourning were declared by Poltava regional head Philip Pronin after one of the deadliest attacks of the war;
• Moldova's government said its energy dependence on Russia made it difficult to heed a requirement by the International Criminal Courtto arrest Vladimir Putinas he visited the country.

• Meanwhile, several government ministers resigned and the deputy head of the Ukrainian president's office was sacked ahead of an expected government reshuffle;
• And Volodymyr Zelenskyy told NBC News in an exclusive interview that Ukraine planned to indefinitely hold territory seized in its shock invasion of Kursk last month as part of a plan to force Mr Putin to the negotiating table.

Washington plans to send more military aid to Ukraine in the coming weeks, the White House has said.

National security spokesperson John Kirby told a briefing that the US's support for Kyiv remains "unshakeable" and it was focused on strengthening Ukraine's military and defences against Russian attacks.

He noted that the US recently announced another drawdown of military assistance - and said it intends to send another round of aid in the coming weeks.

Mongolia ignored the International Criminal Court's arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin as it rolled out the red carpet to receive him today.

The Russian president should, in theory, have been handcuffed as he arrived - but the Mongolian government said earlier that it was difficult to arrest him due to the country's position of energy dependence on Moscow (see 17.35 post).

Mr Putin was welcomed in the main square of Ulaanbaatar by an honour guard as a crowd of people watched behind temporary barriers.

He and Mongolian leader Ukhnaa Khurelsukh later laid a wreath at a monument to Soviet Marshal Georgy Zhukov, visited a school curated by a Russian economic university and attended a reception ceremony where Mr Putin gave a toast.

Russia has launched another attack on Ukraine, officials have said, less than a day after its deadly ballistic missile strike killed more than 50 people in Poltava.

The regional administration of the northeastern Sumy region said Russian forces launched an airstrike on Sumy city tonight, hitting one of its university buildings.

It said a guided bomb was believed to have been used in the attack. There were no details of any casualties.

"All necessary services are available on site," the administration said in a post to Telegram.