Ukraine war latest: Russia dismisses Turkey offer after Putin meets Erdogan; day of mourning in Ukrainian city (2024)

A couple allegedly working for Russia took pictures in front of potential Ukrainian targets under the guise of being newlyweds, the Ukrainian security service (SBU) has said.

The SBU said a 23-year-old man from Odesa and his 18-year-old partner were involved in collecting intelligence for Moscow on sites for possible airstrikes, and would walk around and take pictures "against the background of 'necessary' objects".

They were allegedly "caught red handed" and detained when "spying near a potential target", the SBU said.

According to its investigation, the man was recruited by the Russian security service (FSB) in May after he was found to be discussing how to evade mobilisation online. His partner became involved afterwards, it said.

A search by SBU officers reportedly uncovered anti-Ukrainian leaflets and evidence of payment from the FSB.

Both alleged suspects could be landed with a prison sentence of at least eight years, the SBU said.

Several world leaders including Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping are attending the second day of a security and defence summit in Kazakhstan.

The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, aimed at countering the influence of the US and its allies, is holding its annual meeting in the capital of Astana.

Yesterday saw Mr Putin hold a series of bilateral meetings, including with Mr Xi and Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan, with. During his meeting with the Chinese president, Mr Putin said ties between Moscow and Beijing are "experiencing the best period in their history".

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko is also due to attend today because his nation is becoming a full member.

Western leaders should "rethink" the amount of weapons they are sending to Ukraine and "increase them drastically", a Ukrainian MP has said.

Kira Rudik told Sky News that Ukraine will only be able to fight Russian aggression and win the war by getting more air defence systems.

"Right now, we cannot promise people when they go to bed that they will wake up in the morning," she said.

"This is the key issue right now for Ukraine, to get air defence[s] so we can continue fighting and we can continue pushing Russia back."

Asked about fears that US-made F-16 jets could suffer a similar fate as other warplanes targeted by Russia at Ukrainian air bases, Ms Rudik said increased air defences would protect the aircraft.

She added that Ukraine's allies needed to "switch their perception" from "letting Ukraine fight to letting us win the war".

"We still feel in ourselves that we can win this war and our people are ready to fight," she said.

"It is so critical, and we are asking all leaders to rethink the amounts of weapons that they are sending our way and increase them drastically, because we know that we are not only fighting for ourselves, we are fighting... for the freedom, values and for the way the world would look like."

On Western fears that Russia could escalate if Ukraine is handed modern weapons and fighter jets, Ms Rudik said Moscow had "already escalated".

"They have already committed all kinds of war crimes on our territory to our people, and there is no thinking that they would stop unless they are stopped," she said.

Ukrainian troops have pulled back from a part of the key frontline town of Chasiv Yar in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region, a military spokesman has said.

Kyiv's military spokesman Nazar Voloshyn told national television it had become "impractical to hold the canal neighbourhood afterthe enemy entered it".

Russia's defence ministry claimed yesterday that it had taken control of the"Novyi" district, which lies to the west of Siverskyi Donets-Donbas canal.

Mr Voloshyn said holding on "threatened the lives and healthof our servicemen", adding that troops' positions "weredestroyed".

"The command decided to pull back to more protected andprepared positions, but even there the enemy does not stop itsactive combat actions," he added.

For context:Chasiv Yar, a strategically-important town, has long been a Russian target.

It has been pummelled by Russian air, artillery and drone strikes for months now, as Moscow views the town as a gateway to launch direct offensives against several Ukrainian "fortress cities".

Chasiv Yar had a pre-war population of more than 12,000, but now only a few hundred residents remain.

The Ukrainian president has challenged Donald Trump to come forward with his plan to quickly end the war.

Trump has repeatedly asserted that if he wins the election, he could settle the conflict before he is inaugurated in January.

He has not revealed the details of how he would achieve this, however.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the likely Republican candidate should reveal his proposal - and avoid violating Ukraine's sovereignty in the process.

"If Trump knows how to finish this war, he should tell us today," he said in an interview with Bloomberg Television.

"If there are risks to Ukrainian independence, if we lose statehood – we want to be ready for this, we want to know."

Mr Zelenskyy said he was "potentially ready" to meet Trump and hear his team's plans.

Russia claims to have hit and destroyed a Ukrainian fighter jet stationed at an airfield.

The Russian TASS news agency cited the defence ministry as saying a Russian missile struck the MiG-29 fighter jet in the Dnipro region.

Kyiv has not commented on the claim.

Earlier in the week, Moscow said its forces had destroyed five Ukrainian SU-27 fighter jets with missiles at the Myrhorod airfield in Ukraine's central Poltava region. Ukraine downplayed this, saying Russia was exaggerating the damage caused.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy has welcomed the news that the US will send an additional $2.3bn (£1.8bn) in security assistance to Ukraine.

US defence secretary Lloyd Austin said yesterday that Washington would soon announce the aid package, which includes anti-tank weapons, interceptors and munitions for Patriot and other air defence systems.

It came as he met Ukrainian defence minister Rustem Umerov at the Pentagon.

In a post to social media, Mr Zelenskyy said the "critical items" will strengthen troops and "improve our battlefield capabilities".

"We count on continued US assistance to strengthen Ukraine’s defence and enable us to effectively counter Russian aggression and protect our people against Russian terror," he said.

The number of people killed in Russia's attack on Dnipro city yesterday has risen to six after a woman died in hospital, an official has said.

Regional governor Serhii Lysak said in a Telegram post that the woman, 60, died this morning after being injured in the missile and drone attack.

He confirmed at least six people have been killed.

Dnipro city mayorBorys Filatov announced a day of mourningwould take place today.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan has told Vladimir Putin that Ankara could help end the conflict in Ukraine.

But a spokesman for the Russian president appeared to dismiss the suggestion, saying Mr Erdogan could not act as an intermediary in the war.

Speaking to Mr Putin on the sidelines of a security summit in Kazakhstan yesterday, Mr Erdogan said he believed a fair peace was possible, with an outcome that suited both sides.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov later ruled out any role asa go-between for the Turkish leader.

"No, it's not possible," said Mr Peskov, the Russian TASS news agency cited him as saying.

It was not clear why Russia was opposed to participation by Mr Erdogan, who has attempted to maintain good relations with both Russia and Ukraine throughout the conflict.

Ukrainian air defences shot down 21 of 22 drones launched by Russia overnight, the air force has said.

It said the Shahed drones were downed over six regions in northern and central Ukraine, including Dnipro, where the main city was targeted in a major daylight attack yesterday.

The air force did not say what happened to the remaining drone, or whether it hit Ukrainian territory.