Russia-Ukraine war at a glance: what we know on day 577 of the invasion

Canada pledges an extra C$650m in military aid during Zelenskiy visit; Ukrainian airstrike on Crimea hits Russia’s Black Sea navy headquarters

Ukraine’s military said its forces had “successfully” struck the headquarters of Russia’s Black Sea navy in the Crimean port of Sevastopol on Friday. Russia’s defence ministry said that one military serviceman was missing. Footage posted on social media showed clouds of white smoke billowing from the rooftop of the HQ building. Russian sources reported that the strike was carried out using Storm Shadow missiles provided by the UK and launched from Ukrainian aircraft.

A Russian missile strike on civilian infrastructure in Kremenchuk in the central Poltava region of Ukraine killed one person and injured 15 others, the regions’ governor, Dmytro Lunin, said on Friday via Telegram. He said one child was among the injured and that Ukrainian air defences downed one of the missiles launched.

Volodymyr Zelenskiy has bolstered military aid to Ukraine following a visit to Canada, with Ottawa promising an extra C$650m ($482m) over the next three years. Canada’s prime minister, Justin Trudeau, said the aid included money for 50 armoured vehicles. He will also send F-16 trainers for pilots and maintenance so Ukraine is able to maximise its use of donated fighter jets.

Zelenskiy thanked Canada for its military support, and hailed the historic and communal ties between the two countries, in an impassioned speech at the Canadian parliament on Friday. “You’re always on the bright side of history … I have no doubt that you will choose the side of freedom and justice,” the Ukrainian president said.

The US president, Joe Biden, has told Volodymyr Zelenskiy that the US will provide a small number of long-range missiles to help in Ukraine’s fight against Russia, three US officials and a congressional official told NBC News on Friday. The officials did not confirm when the missiles would be delivered.

The Russian deputy prime minister, Alexander Novak, held a meeting with Russian oil company managers on Friday to discuss the domestic fuel market, the government said. Russia temporarily banned exports of petrolium and diesel to all countries outside a circle of four ex-Soviet states with immediate effect, the government said on Thursday, without a specified end date.

Continue reading...

Giorgio Napolitano, ex-communist who became president of Italy, dies aged 98

Party reformer was first former communist to become president and first person re-elected to post

Giorgio Napolitano, the first former communist to rise to Italy’s presidency and the first person to be elected twice to the post, has died aged 98.

A statement issued on Friday night by the presidential palace confirmed Italian news reports of the death of Napolitano, who had been in a Rome hospital for weeks.

Continue reading...

Russia-Ukraine war at a glance: what we know on day 576 of the invasion

Zelenskiy speaks to Canadian parliament after Justin Trudeau announces training for F-16 fighter pilots

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy delivered an impassioned speech at the Canadian parliament on Friday in which he thanked Canada’s military support to Ukraine, as well as hailed the historic and communal ties between the two countries. “You’re always on the bright side of history … I have no doubt that you will choose the side of freedom and justice,” he said.

Prime minister Justin Trudeau says Canada is going to make a longer-term, multi-year commitment that provides steady support for Ukraine, including money for 50 armoured vehicles. Canada will give an extra C$650m ($482m) in military aid to Ukraine over the next three years, Trudeau told the Canadian parliament. He will also send F-16 trainers for pilots and maintenance so Ukraine is able to maximise its use of donated fighter jets.

A Russian missile strike on civilian infrastructure in Kremenchuk in the central Poltava region of Ukraine killed one person and injured 15 others, governor Dmytro Lunin said on Friday via Telegram. He said one child was among the injured and that Ukrainian air defences downed one of the missiles launched. These claims are yet to be independently verified.

The Russian deputy prime minister, Alexander Novak, held a meeting with Russian oil company managers on Friday to discuss the domestic fuel market, the government said. Russia temporarily banned exports of gasoline and diesel to all countries outside a circle of four ex-Soviet states with immediate effect, the government said on Thursday, without a specified end date.

US president Joe Biden has told his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskiy that the US will provide a small number of long-range missiles to help in Ukraine’s fight against Russia, three US officials and a congressional official told NBC News on Friday. The officials did not confirm when the missiles would be delivered and remain anonymous as they have not been authorised to speak on the subject publicly.

A Ukrainian air force spokesperson reportedly said that he had hoped the missile strike on the Russian Black Sea fleet HQ earlier on Friday had left a bigger hole in the building. Air force spokesperson, Yuriy Ignat, speaking on Ukrainian television, said that while he was pleased by the result of the strike, he had hoped the effects would be more dramatic. “I wanted a bigger hole to be honest,” he said.

Ukraine’s military said its forces had “successfully” struck the headquarters of Russia’s Black Sea navy in the Crimean port of Sevastopol on Friday. “On 22 September close to 12:00 (0900 GMT) Ukraine’s defence forces successfully struck the headquarters of the Russian Black Sea fleet command in the temporarily occupied Sevastopol,” Ukraine’s military said on Telegram.

Continue reading...

Russia-Ukraine war live: Zelenskiy says ‘Moscow must lose once and for all’ as Trudeau commits fighter jet training

Ukraine president addresses Canadian parliament; Canada will send F-16 trainers for pilots

Ukraine’s infrastructure minister confirmed on Friday the departure of the second cargo vessel with grain from Ukraine’s Chornomorsk seaport.

The vessel Aroyat “left the port Chornomorsk after loading Ukrainian wheat for Egypt,” Reuters reports Oleksandr Kubrakov posted to social media.

This is Martin Belam taking over the live blog in London. You can contact me at martin.belam@theguardian.com.

Continue reading...

Zelenskiy urges Canada to stay with Ukraine as he speaks to parliament

Ukrainian president thanks Canada for financial support and says ‘stay with us to our victory’

Volodymyr Zelenskiy has urged Canada to stay with Ukraine to victory as he went to the Canadian Parliament seeking to bolster support from western allies for Ukraine’s war against the Russian invasion.

“Moscow must lose once and for all. And it will lose,” Zelenskiy said during his address in parliament on Friday.

Continue reading...

Scandal grows over children’s spinal surgery in Ireland

After focus on work of one Dublin surgeon, expert report sparks wider review of paediatric orthopaedics

Paediatricians and health executives in Dublin were aware that a leading children’s hospital in the city was using “unauthorised, uncertified” medical implants in surgery, a top health official has said.

Ireland is facing a growing scandal over paediatric spinal surgery. An independent investigation found that 19 children with spina bifida suffered serious complications after they were operated on by one surgeon at Temple Street hospital. One child was readmitted to the operating theatre 33 times after her initial operation.

Continue reading...

Pope Francis decries ‘fanaticism of indifference’ over migration

Pontiff says rescuing those making Mediterranean crossings is a ‘duty of humanity’ on first visit by a pope to Marseille in 500 years

Pope Francis has decried what he called the “fanaticism of indifference” as people risked their lives on dangerous journeys by boat from north Africa to Europe, amid growing political debate over migration.

Opening an overnight visit to Marseille, the pontiff presided over a silent moment of prayer at a memorial dedicated to sailors and people who died at sea, surrounded by faith leaders and migrant rescue organisations from the Mediterranean port city.

Continue reading...

Five siblings jailed for illegally extracting water feeding Spanish nature reserve

Farmers found guilty of crimes against environment for tapping aqueduct feeding Unesco-listed Donana national park

Five siblings have been jailed for more than three years for illegally extracting water from an aqueduct feeding a Unesco-listed Spanish nature reserve that is threatened by desertification, a court ruling showed.

The farmers – four men and a woman – were found guilty of crimes against the environment and causing damage through the “systematic and extensive extraction” of water supplying Donana national park, according to the ruling dated 18 September that was seen by Agence France-Presse on Friday.

Continue reading...

Ukraine mounts missile strike on Russian Black Sea fleet HQ in Crimea

Latest high-profile attack on Russian forces based on annexed peninsula targets base in Sevastopol

A Ukrainian missile attack has hit the headquarters of Russia’s Black Sea fleet in occupied Crimea, the latest high-profile Ukrainian strike on the annexed peninsula.

Russia’s defence ministry said that one military serviceman was missing as a result of the assault, which hit the navy headquarters in the port city of Sevastopol.

Continue reading...

European Commission announces €127m aid to Tunisia to reduce migration as rescue groups warn of death toll at sea – as it happened

Commission says it is ‘cracking down’ on smuggling networks as NGOs say more assistance is needed from Europe’s leaders. This live blog is closed

The Paris public prosecutor’s office said today that far-right leader Marine Le Pen and 24 others should stand trial over alleged misuse of EU funds, Reuters reports.

The Italian prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, and the European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, have used the situation in Lampedusa “for political campaigning,” according to Dutch European parliament member Sophie in ‘t Veld.

Continue reading...

Zelenskiy secures $325m in new US aid even as Republican support wanes

Ukraine president delivers upbeat message on war progress during second White House visit since Russian invasion

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy worked to shore up US support for Ukraine on a whirlwind visit to Washington on Thursday, delivering an upbeat message on the war’s progress while facing new questions about the flow of US dollars that for 19 months have helped keep his troops in the fight against Russian forces.

The Ukrainian leader received a far quieter reception than the hero’s welcome he was given last year from Congress, but also won generally favorable comments on the next round of US aid he says he needs to stave off defeat.

Continue reading...

Alarm over ‘fascist-like’ protest at Ireland’s seat of government

Mock gallows erected covered in pictures of politicians in ugly scenes in Dublin

Ireland is reviewing security around the seat of government after aggressive protests in Dublin that trapped lawmakers, ended with 13 arrests and were condemned by the country’s leadership as “wrong” and “fascist-like”.

The Oireachtas, Ireland’s legislature, was put into a virtual lockdown for hours on Wednesday by a small but abusive group of about 200 people.

Continue reading...

Keir Starmer: Labour in power would not ‘want to diverge’ from EU

Party leader says he would not bring in lower environmental and food standards than in Europe or reduce workers’ rights

Keir Starmer has gone further than before in outlining his vision of a future UK relationship with the EU, saying Labour didn’t “want to diverge” – in comments that were immediately seized on by the Conservatives.

The Labour leader was speaking at an event in Canada bringing together liberal and centre-left politicians, where he said that “most of the conflict” since Brexit had arisen because the UK “wants to diverge and do different things to the rest of our EU partners”.

Continue reading...

Russia temporarily bans export of petrol and diesel to stabilise domestic market

Four ex-Soviet states excepted from ban, which has been prompted by railway bottlenecks and weak rouble

Russia has temporarily banned exports of petrol and diesel to all countries outside a circle of four ex-Soviet states with immediate effect, in order to stabilise the domestic market.

“Temporary restrictions will help saturate the fuel market, which in turn will reduce prices for consumers,” the Kremlin said in a statement.

Continue reading...

Poland will no longer send weapons to Ukraine, says PM, as grain dispute escalates

Comments by Polish PM follow Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s accusation that some in Europe are in effect aiding Russia

Poland, one of Ukraine’s staunchest allies, has announced an end to its arms transfers to the country, a day after President Volodymyr Zelenskiy accused Warsaw of playing into Russia’s hands by banning Ukrainian grain imports.

Poland is one of Kyiv’s main weapons suppliers and has been one of the loudest cheerleaders for the Ukrainian cause since the full-scale invasion began in February 2022, but relations have soured over recent days amid the growing row over grain.

Continue reading...

Russia-Ukraine war: Zelenskiy ‘looking forward to discussing air defense’ with Biden before US announces ‘significant’ military aid – as it happened

This live blog is now closed. For our latest reporting on the war in Ukraine, you can read our latest report:

Energy and civilian infrastructure was hit in an early morning Russian missile attack on Ukraine’s western Rivne region, Reuters reports local governor Vitaliy Koval said on Thursday.

The Russian defence ministry claims to have downed 19 drones over the Black Sea and Crimea regions, and three further drones launched at the Belgorod, Kursk and Oryol regions by Ukraine.

Continue reading...

Zelenskiy calls for Russia to lose UN veto power; UN chief says ‘humanity has opened gates of hell’ on climate – live

Ukrainian president says war impossible to stop while Russia vetoes all efforts at peace; Guterres condemns world leaders’ inaction on climate crisis

The Iranian president, Ebrahim Raisi, addressed UN ambassadors at the annual general assembly on Tuesday where he accused America of fanning the flames of violence in Ukraine, prompting protests from Israel’s representative to the UN.

Raisi claimed any Iranian-made drones hitting Ukrainian cities had been sold before the war started and said he was in favour of peace in Ukraine, on the same day that Tehran hosted a Russian defence delegation led by its defence minister, Sergei Shoigu.

Continue reading...

Zelenskiy says only way to ensure peace is fundamental UN reform

Ukrainian president says UN general assembly should have power to override veto and calls for Russia’s to be removed

Volodymyr Zelenskiy has told the UN security council that the way to bring peace in Ukraine and to prevent further wars of aggression is through fundamental UN reform.

The Ukrainian president argued that the war had demonstrated the need to limit veto power, give the UN general assembly the power to override vetoes, and expand the council’s permanent members beyond the current five powers, who acquired their privileged position in the wake of the second world war.

Continue reading...

Extreme weather shows need for early warning systems, says Spanish minister

Teresa Ribera calls for alert systems in every country by 2027 after spate of natural disasters across the world

The latest spate of natural disasters – from the floods in Libya, Greece and Spain to the wildfires in Hawaii and Canada – has further underscored the need for early warning systems to help the world cope with the realities of the climate emergency, Spain’s environment minister has said.

Speaking to the Guardian as she prepared to travel to New York to take part in the UN’s climate ambition summit and sign a landmark treaty to protect the high seas, Teresa Ribera said the calamities laid bare the challenges the planet faced.

Continue reading...

UK and France to investigate Dunkirk shipwrecks from second world war

Archaeologists to survey waters off coast of northern France using latest technology to scour seabed

Churchill called the mass evacuation of allied forces from the beach and pier at Dunkirk a “miracle of deliverance”, but the operation to rescue more than 330,000 troops trapped by German forces in May 1940 came at a heavy cost.

Of the up to 1,000 vessels, from military warships to fishing boats, lifeboats and pleasure craft, that scrambled to help the stranded men, hundreds were sunk during the nine-day Operation Dynamo with the loss of many lives.

Continue reading...