Ukraine-Russia war live: Zelensky to present ‘victory plan’ to Biden as Moscow glide bomb injures 21

At a high-profile UN summit in New York, Russia was isolated after attempting to derail a proposed “Pact for the Future” to revive the UN and address multilateralism.

Russia called for the deferral of the pact, arguing it favoured Western interests and interfered with national sovereignty.

However, the motion was rejected by a large majority — 143 votes to 7 — with only limited support from allies like Belarus, Venezuela, and Syria.

Russia’s objections targeted issues like sexual and reproductive health rights and gender empowerment.

Despite Russia’s opposition, the pact, seen as crucial by the global south and UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres, seeks to reform multilateral cooperation, including the UN Security Council, financial institutions, and handling of modern crises like AI and climate change.

Mr Guterres told the summit that the pact’s aim was “to bring multilateralism back from the brink at a time when the world [is] heading off the rails”.

In a surprise speech on the main stage, Ukrainian ambassador Valerii Zaluzhnyi thanked the government for their support.

“I want to take this opportunity to thank the Prime Minister, the Foreign Secretary and the Defence Secretary for their commitment to the Ukrainian people,” he said.

“The Labour Party has a long history of opposing fascism and terrorism.”

“It was [Labour wartime minister Ernest] Bevin who understood the importance of strength... Bevin’s legacy includes the founding of NATO, the cornerstone of European security.

“He would have understood the urgent need for Ukraine’s fast-track membership of Nato as a necessity that should be recognised.”

Two female mine workers were found dead after a Russian strike in the Donetsk region caused a fire.

One more person was taken to hospital following the strike, which forced 371 workers to evacuate.

The fire was above the mine and did not enter go underground, the ministry noted according to Ukrainian Pravda.

Ukraine’s Energy Ministry did not specify the location of the attack but the Governor of the Donetsk region, Vadym Filashkin, said early on Sunday that two people had been killed and one injured in Udachne, the Kyiv Independent reported.

The village of Udachne, 12 kilometres west of Pokrovsk - one of the main battlegrounds in recent weeks - is home to one of the largest coal mines in Ukraine.

A firefighter was killed by a Ukrainian drone in Russia-controlled Luhansk region in the eastern Ukraine, the Russian Emergencies Ministry said on Sunday.

The drone’s explosives detonated when Vyacheslav Glazunov, 33, was extinguishing a fire in the Novoaidar district triggered by fallen drones, the ministry said on Telegram.

An arms depot in Russia’s south-western region of Krasnodar appeared to have been hit in a massive Ukrainian drone attack overnight on Friday 20 September, as verified footage on social media showed explosions at the scene.

Other attacks were also reported in occupied Crimea and the Tver region, northwest of Moscow, and Russia’s defence ministry said its forces had shot down more than 100 drones.

Ukraine’s air defence units destroyed 71 out of 80 attack drones that Russia launched overnight, Ukraine’s air force said this morning.

Additionally, six more of the Russian drones were lost after getting neutralised by Ukraine’s electronic warfare, the air force said.

Russia also launched two guided missiles from occupied parts of Ukraine’s Luhansk region, the air force said but did not mention if they were intercepted.

Allies must show “nerve” in their support for Ukraine, foreign secretary David Lammy said Sunday at the Labour party conference.

Speaking at a fringe event alongside Ukraine’s ambassador to the UK, Valerii Zaluzhnyi, he said: “This is a critical time for nerve and for guts and for patience and for fortitude on behalf of allies who stand with Ukraine.”

“I am not going to, as Foreign Secretary, of course, comment on operational detail, because that can only aid Putin.

“But there is a very real-time discussion across allies about how we can support Ukraine as we head into the winter.”

“I think we have to recognise Putin’s bullying bluster and rhetoric for what it is: a sort of deliberate psychological warfare that is usually indicative of his own fears about losing this ridiculous and horrendous bloody escapade of his.

“He tends to throw dust up in the eyes.”