Russia Ukraine war live: Death toll rises in devastating missile attacks against Kyiv and Kharkiv

An onslaught of Russian missiles targeting Ukraine’s two largest cities have killed 18 people and injured 130 others, president Volodymyr Zelensky said.

Russian forces began pounding more than 200 sites in the capital Kyiv and the eastern city of Kharkiv on Tuesday morning, trapping many people under the rubble of collapsed and damaged buildings.

Mr Zelensky said in his nightly video address that around 40 missiles were launched towards Ukrainian cities, out of which “a significant number” were shot down, but many hit their targets.

The United States is out of money for Ukraine, unable to send the ammunition and missiles that the government in Kyiv needs to fend off Russia’s invasion.

With the aid caught up in domestic politics, the Biden administration on Tuesday came empty-handed for the first time as host of the monthly meeting of about 50 nations that coordinate support for Ukraine.

The group was established by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin in April 2022.

While waiting for Congress to approve more money for Ukraine‘s fight, Washington will look to allies to keep bridging the gap.

“I urge this group to dig deep to provide Ukraine with more lifesaving ground-based air defense systems and interceptors,” Austin said in opening remarks broadcast from his home, where he is recuperating after prostate cancer surgery

.The opening statement by video was the first public appearance from Austin, 70, who appeared slightly gaunt. He was hospitalized for two weeks after complications from the surgery.

After the meeting, Celeste Wallander, assistant defense secretary for international affairs, told reporters that Ukraine‘s ministry of defense is getting reports from its front lines that “units are not do not have the stocks and the stores of ammunition that they require.”

Wallander added: “That is one of the reasons we have been focusing on the need to answer Congress’ questions, so that they are able to move forward on a decision to pass” legislation with the aid.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has become a “battle for ammunition,” the head of Nato has warned, as the alliance signed a £950 million contract to buy hundreds of thousands of vital artillery rounds to help Kyiv’s battle against Vladimir Putin’s forces.

Nato secretary general Jens Stoltenberg announced that the alliance had signed contracts to purchase 220,000 rounds of 155-millimetre ammunition.

“This is important to defend our own territory, to build up our own stocks, but also to continue to support Ukraine,” Mr Stoltenberg said. “Russia’s war in Ukraine has become a battle for ammunition, so allies must refill their own stocks, as we continue to support Ukraine.”

Mr Stoltenberg said of the Nato deal: “We cannot allow President Putin to win in Ukraine. That would be a tragedy for the Ukrainians and dangerous for all of us.”

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He said the leaders reached “an understanding” to resolve through talks any differences between their countries over grain shipments and truck exports.

The war, Mr Tusk said, was a wider struggle between Europe and Russia with repercussions beyond Ukraine and hence a priority for Poland.

NATO signed on Tuesday a $1.2-billion contract to make tens of thousands of artillery rounds to replenish the dwindling stocks of its member countries as they supply ammunition to Ukraine to help it defeat Russia‘s invasion.

The contract will allow for the purchase of 220,000 rounds of 155-millimeter ammunition, the most widely sought after artillery shell, according to NATO’s support and procurement agency. It will allow allies to backfill their arsenals and to provide Ukraine with more ammunition.

“This is important to defend our own territory, to build up our own stocks, but also to continue to support Ukraine,” NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg told reporters.

“We cannot allow President (Vladimir) Putin to win in Ukraine,” he added. “That would be a tragedy for the Ukrainians and dangerous for all of us.”

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Russia’s military is being forced to strip down fridges and other household appliances for parts as its invasion of Ukraine grinds on, a British representative to the UN has said.

The UK’s deputy permanent representative to the UN, James Kariuki, also told a UN Security Council meeting in New York that the war had set back the modernisation of the Russian military by almost two decades.

“Now Russia’s defence industry strips down fridges for parts. It orders its weapons from the DPRK [North Korea’s official name] in violation of multiple resolutions agreed in this chamber, under this Russian foreign minister’s instruction. Its purchase and use of Iranian drones involves both states violating a Security Council resolution,, said at the UN Security Council meeting on Ukraine on Monday.

Ambassador Kariuki said Russia has suffered more than 300,000 casualties in Ukraine as Kyiv keeps up its stout defence while striking key targets in Russia and Russian-held territory, and “mothers and wives of these soldiers have been arrested or ignored”.

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday said Russian missile strikes throughout the country killed 18 people and injured more than 130.

Zelenskiy, speaking in his nightly video address, said more than 200 sites were struck, including 139 dwellings.

Officials in Kharkiv, Ukraine‘s second-largest city, had earlier said eight that had died in an attack on an apartment building.

Russia’s military is carrying out probing attacks with barrages of missiles and drones in an attempt to find weaknesses in Ukraine‘s military as U.S. funding for security assistance is tied up in Congress, a senior Pentagon official said on Tuesday.

The efforts include use of ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and drones, and Russia has also sought to force Ukraine to expend precious ammunition, and air defenses, to counter the attacks.

“They’ve not succeeded so far. Ukrainians have a lot of experience over the last few years on how to cope with these kinds of Russian assaults,” Celeste Wallander, an assistant secretary of defense, told reporters.

Earlier on Tuesday, Russia fired 41 missiles at Ukrainian cities, according to Ukraine‘s air force, which said it destroyed 21 of them.

Wallander’s remarks came as Republicans in Congress have blocked emergency funding that President Joe Biden has requested for Ukraine and threaten to force a partial shutdown of the government in an effort to push new security policies along the U.S.-Mexico border.

Biden has requested $61.4 billion in additional funding to help supply Ukraine with weapons and replenish U.S. stocks as it nears the two-year mark of its war with Russia. The funds sought for Ukraine are part of a “supplemental” request that also includes $14.3 billion for Israel and $13.6 billion for border protection.

Russian missiles hit the Ukrainian capital and other cities on Tuesday, local officials said, killing at least nine people and damaging energy infrastructure as Moscow’s war approaches its third year.

In the eastern city of Kharkiv, the death toll rose to eight. Ukraine‘s Emergency Services posted online a video of teams sifting through a shattered apartment building and said the body of an eight-year-old girl had been recovered.

Governor Oleh Synehubov said more than 100 high-rise blocks in the city had been damaged.

Police said 57 people were injured, including eight children.

In Kyiv, where the blasts of air defence pierced the morning calm, emergency services said 22 people, including four children, had been wounded across at least three districts.

At one site, rescuers tended to dazed and groaning victims as workers swept away debris and broken glass.

“There was a very loud bang, and my mother was already running outside, shouting that we need to leave. We all went to the corridor,” said Daniel Boliukh, 21. “Then, we went on the balcony to have a look, and saw all these buildings were on fire.”