Ukraine-Russia live: Kyiv outraged by UN chief’s ‘trip to meet Putin’ as Russian commander killed with hammer

Overnight drone attacks by Ukraine caused an explosion and a fire at an ethanol manufacturing plant and damaged two other alcohol-producing enterprises in Russia, the authorities said.

One explosion shook the Bio-Khim biochemical plant in Russia’s Tambov region, sparking a short-lived fire, Tambov Governor Maxim Yegorov said on Telegram.

Meanwhile, the governor of the Tula region, which borders Moscow to its north, said Ukrainian drones damaged two distilleries, in the town of Yefremov and the village of Luzhkovskyi. There were no reports of casualties.

Russia’s defence ministry said that its air defence units destroyed a total of 18 Ukrainian drones, but it did not mention Tambov in its tally.

South Korea may consider supplying weapons directly to Ukraine in response to growing military ties between North Korea and Russia, officials stated on Tuesday.

This follows ongoing accusations that Pyongyang has deployed troops to fight alongside Russia in Ukraine.

A senior official from President Yoon Suk Yeol’s office said the government is preparing diplomatic, economic, and military responses to various scenarios of North Korea-Russia military cooperation. These responses could include providing Ukraine with lethal weapons if the situation escalates.

“We are considering supplying defensive weapons as part of a phased approach, and if necessary, we may also consider offensive measures,” the official told reporters.

The remarks followed an emergency meeting of South Korea’s National Security Council (NSC) to discuss North Korea’s increasing military cooperation with Russia. The NSC condemned Pyongyang for sending troops to fight as “Russia’s mercenaries,” accusing the regime of neglecting its people’s well-being and human rights.

The senior official also mentioned that a team of intelligence and defence officials would visit NATO headquarters “within the coming days” after NATO chief Mark Rutte urged President Yoon in a Monday phone call to send a delegation to strengthen information-sharing efforts.

Both Russia and North Korea have denied any arms transfers but have committed to deepening military cooperation.

Three people including a child were killed in a Russian drone strike on the northeastern Ukrainian city of Sumy, officials said on Tuesday.

The attack targeted a residential neighbourhood and critical infrastructure, regional governor Ihor Kalchenko said on the Telegram messaging app.

In a statement, the Ukrainian military said air defences had destroyed 42 out of 60 drones launched by Russia overnight across various parts of Ukraine.

Pictures from the strike are yet to emerge but we will share them as they come in.

Ukrainian air defences destroyed 42 out of 60 drones launched by Russia during an overnight strike, Kyiv’s Air Force said this morning.

The drones were downed over parts of central, southern and eastern Ukraine, it said.

Russia’s overnight drone attack killed three civilians, including a child, in a residential area in eastern Ukraine’s Sumy region, the regional governor said.

“Three people, including a child, died as a result of a nighttime attack by enemy drones on residential buildings,” Ihor Kalchenko, the governor, said.

US defence secretary Lloyd Austin arrived in Kyiv on an unannounced visit yesterday, hours after a Russian drone attack on the Ukrainian capital. Mr Austin said his fourth visit shows “that the United States, alongside the international community, continues to stand by Ukraine.”

“We should all understand that Putin’s assault is a warning. It is a sneak preview of a world built by tyrants and thugs; a chaotic, violent world carved into spheres of influence,” he said in a speech.

Ukraine is having difficulty holding back a ferocious Russian campaign along the eastern front that is gradually compelling Kyiv’s forces to give up a series of towns, villages and hamlets.

South Korea will gradually take countermeasures in line with the level of military cooperation between Russia and North Korea, deputy national security adviser Kim Tae-hyo told a briefing today.

His comments came as South Korea’s presidential office urged Pyongyang to immediately withdraw North Korean troops that Seoul says have been dispatched to Russia for the war with Ukraine.

Mr Kim made the comments in a televised briefing after a meeting hosted by National Security Adviser Shin Won-sik on the dispatch of North Koreans troops earlier today.

Mr Kim accused Pyongyang of acting like a “criminal organisation” by sending young North Koreans to fight in Russia and vowed to cooperate with allies in ensuring countermeasures against North Korea-Russia military cooperation.

It remained a possibility that South Korea could supply offensive weapons to Ukraine, the Yonhap news agency reported, citing the presidential office.

The UK is using profits on frozen Russian assets to loan £2.26bn to Ukraine to aid with its fight against Russia’s invasion, it has been announced.

The funds represent the UK’s share of a $50bn (£38.39bn) loan package agreed upon by the G7 nations, financed through interest generated from sanctioned Russian sovereign assets.

The money could be used to fund air defence, artillery or other military equipment and comes on top of the UK’s existing £3bn-a-year support for Ukraine.

Overnight drone attacks by Ukraine caused an explosion and a fire at an ethanol manufacturing plant and damaged two other alcohol producing enterprises in Russia, Russian officials said this morning.

A blast shook the Biokhim biochemical plant in Russia’s Tambov region, sparking a short-lived fire, Tambov governor Maxim Yegorov said. “According to preliminary information, there are no casualties,” Yegorov said.

Biokhim in the Tambov region, some 450km (280 miles) southeast of Moscow, is one of Russia’s oldest manufacturers of “products of strategic importance for the state”, chiefly ethanol, according to the company’s website.

The governor of the Tula region, which borders Moscow to its north, said that a Ukraine drone attack damaged two distilleries in the town of Yefremov and the village of Luzhkovskyi this morning.

There were no injuries, Tula governor Dmitry Miliayev said, adding the situation was “under control”. It was not immediately clear how big the attacks were and Miliayev did not give any further details.

Russia’s overnight drone attack killed three civilians, including a child, in a residential area in eastern Ukraine’s Sumy region, the regional governor said.

“Three people, including a child, died as a result of a nighttime attack by enemy drones on residential buildings,” Ihor Kalchenko, the governor, said.