Russia bombs civilian ships in Odesa

A civilian vessel and port infrastructure were struck by a Russian missile in the Ukrainian port city of Odesa on Friday.

At least four people were injured by the strike, according to regional Governor Oleh Kiper, who added that the vessel was flying the Antiguan flag.

"Debris from, according to preliminary assessment, an Iskander-M missile, damaged port and civilian infrastructure, as well as a civilian ship flying the flag of Antigua," Kiper said.

The Iskander-M is a ballistic missile which flies at several times the speed of sound and has a stated range of up to 500 km (310 miles).

Air raid alerts were heard across Odesa Oblash at around 2pm local time, and the first strikes were heard in the city moments later.

Odessa Oblast has become a regular target of Russian missile and drone attacks.

The strike follows Ukraine's accusation last week that Moscow targeted a civilian grain vessel en route from Odesa to Egypt with a cruise missile near Romanian waters.

On July 4th, Russia killed one civilian and injured seven others during another strike on the port with a ballistic missile.

Today's live coverage has ended

Thank you for following the day's main events.

Pictured: Odesa attack

Photographs have emerged of Russia's attack on Odesa earlier on Friday.

US 'expressed concern' to China about signs of overcapacity and Russia support

US officials at an economic working group meeting in Beijing expressed concern to their Chinese counterparts about signs of increasing overcapacity in some sectors of China's economy, the U.S. Treasury Department said on Friday.

They also discussed concerns over Chinese firms' support for the Russian war in Ukraine, the department said in a statement. The two sides met on Sept 19 and 20.

Residents in Kyiv told to stay indoors amid air pollution

Authorities in Ukraine urged Kyiv residents to stay indoors Friday due to air pollution from regional fires.

The Ministry of Environmental Protection cited burning peatlands and wildfires, combined with autumn weather changes, as the cause.

The city woke to thick smog and the smell of smoke, with some residents wearing masks.

Early Friday, Kyiv ranked as the world's most polluted city on IQAir's real-time air quality index but improved later in the day.

Pictured: wounded soldiers receive treatment

Wounded soldiers are receiving treatment after tank crew members were evacuated from the Pokrovsk Region.

During the battle, several pieces of Russian equipment were destroyed, and a Ukrainian tank was hit.

Russian forces have been advancing in areas southeast of Pokrovsk, in Ukraine's Donetsk region.

Russia charges soldiers with killing pro-Moscow US fighter

Russia charged four of its soldiers for torturing and killing a US citizen living in Russian-held Donetsk on Friday.

It is a rare instance of Russia accusing active soldiers in Ukraine - who are glorified at home - of committing crimes.

Russell Bentley, known as "Texas", was declared dead in the eastern Ukrainian city of Donetsk in April.

He regularly appeared on pro-Kremlin social media channels, backing Moscow's full-scale military offensive.

The Russian Investigative Committee announced on Friday that it had identified those involved in the death of Russell Bentley.

The four soldiers - Vladislav Agaltsev, Vladimir Bazhin, Andrei Iordanov, and Vitaly Vansyatsky - are accused of torturing and killing Bentley in Donetsk on April 8.

They are accused of "using physical violence and torture, causing the death of a victim by negligence, as well as the concealment of a particularly serious crime by moving the remains of the deceased to another place", the committee said.

Two of them then blew up a military car containing his body, before another moved the remains to cover up the crime, investigators said.

Ukraine bans officials from using Telegram

Ukraine has banned the use of the Telegram messaging app on official devices for state officials, military personnel, and critical workers, citing concerns that Russia can spy on users and messages.

The decision followed evidence from military intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov that showed Russian special services' ability to monitor the platform, the National Security and Defence Council announced on Friday.

Andriy Kovalenko, head of the council's disinformation centre, said that the ban only applies to official devices, not personal phones.

Telegram, widely used in both Ukraine and Russia, has raised security concerns among Ukrainian officials since the war began.

It has become a critical source of information since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Ukraine joins Nato drill to test anti-drone systems

Nato wrapped up a major anti-drone exercise this week, with Ukraine participating for the first time as the alliance seeks to learn from the rapid development and use of drones in the war.

Held at a Dutch military base, the drills involved over 20 countries and 50 companies, testing systems to detect and counter drones.

The 11-day event concluded with a demonstration of jamming and hacking drones, coinciding with a large Ukrainian drone strike on a Russian arsenal and Moscow's announcement to boost drone production.

Nato is increasingly focused on the threat posed by drones, with officials stressing the need for swift action.

"This is not a domain we can be passive in," said Matt Roper, a Nato technology agency official.

Zelensky thanks von der Leyen

Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky welcomed Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission president, in Kyiv on Friday.

"I am grateful for her efforts to provide Ukraine with additional support ahead of the winter season," Mr Zelensky wrote on X following their meeting.

He added that the pair discussed in detail what "can be done together" to support Ukraine amid the war, touching upon which supplies and funding are needed.

"The prompt implementation of all our agreements is crucial," he told reporters.

Mr Zelensky went on to thank the EU for its announcement of a further 160 million euros too prepare for the winter months.

"I would also like to express special gratitude for yesterday's announcement of additional EU energy support for Ukraine," he said.

He explained that a total of 100 million euros will come from the revenues of frozen Russian assets.

Russian missiles damage Odesa port and civilian vessel

A Russian missile strike has damaged port infrastructure and an Antigua-flagged civilian vessel in the Ukrainian port city of Odesa, the regional governor said on Friday.

Four people were wounded by the strike, Governor Oleh Kiper said on Telegram.

"Debris from, according to preliminary assessment, an Iskander-M missile, damaged port and civilian infrastructure, as well as a civilian ship flying the flag of Antigua," Kiper said.

The Iskander-M is a ballistic missile which flies at several times the speed of sound and has a stated range of up to 500 km (310 miles).

Norway to raise and extend financial support for Ukraine

Norway will extend its Ukraine aid programme by three years and add a total of 60 billion Norwegian crowns ($5.70 billion) as part of the expansion, the country's government said on Friday.

In 2023 Norway allocated a total of 75 billion crowns split over five years to support the Ukrainian war effort and reconstruction, but said on Friday this would be raised to 135 billion and that the programme would run until 2030.

Putin chairs meeting with National Security Council

Russian President Vladimir Putin chaired a meeting with members of the Security Council on Friday via videoconference at the Constantine Palace in Strelna, Saint Petersburg.

Media reports put Russian military death toll at 70,000

Around 70,000 Russian soldiers have been killed since the start of the war, the BBC and the independent Russian news site Mediazona said on Friday.

The pair compiled the toll based on publicly available information including official statements, death notices in the media and announcements on social media.

They also recorded tombstones in Russian cemeteries.

"We have identified the names of 70,112 Russian soldiers killed in Ukraine but the actual number is believed to be considerably higher," the BBC said.

"Some families do not share details of their relatives' deaths publicly - and our analysis does not include names we were unable to check, or the deaths of militia in Russian-occupied Donetsk and Luhansk in eastern Ukraine," it added.

The toll is up from an estimation of 66,000 deaths shared in mid-August.

Meduza, another Russian news site, has claimed that the toll could be as high as 120,000 after analysing data from notaries on inheritance cases.

Today's main events

For those of you who are just joining us, here is a roundup of the day's main events:

Russian army unit commanders were warned about a potential incursion by Ukrainian forces as early as January 4, documents seized by Kyiv have revealed.

A large proportion of the Russian soldiers captured by Ukraine during its invasion of Kursk were conscripts who were initially promised they would not have to fight in the war, leaked documents have revealed.

Moscow has urged the United States to heed its warnings on the risks of further escalation around the war in Ukraine, state-run media reported on Friday.

Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, arrived in Kyiv on Friday to discuss Europe's support for Ukraine.

The European Union will provide Ukraine with a loan of up to 35 billion euros ($39 billion) to support the country amid its ongoing war with Russia, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced on Friday.

Zelensky hopes for Biden's support to end war

Volodymyr Zelensky said Friday he hopes US President Joe Biden will support his plan to end more than two and a half years of war with Russia, ahead of an expected trip to Washington.

"I really hope that he will support this plan," the Ukrainian president said during a press conference with EU chief Ursula von der Leyen in Kyiv.

"The plan is designed for decisions that will have to happen from October to December... We would like that very much. Then we believe that the plan will work."

Kremlin will take back Kursk in 'timely manner'

Russia will seize back control of Kursk in a "timely manner", the Kremlin said on Friday, without specifying how soon this could be achieved.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov added that the situation in Kursk was "extreme", but that he did not doubt the ability of Russia's soldiers.

Ukraine launched the biggest foreign attack on Russia since WW2 after it invaded Kursk earlier this summer.

Russia has been fighting to roll back Ukraine's forces and reportedly recaptured two villages in the region on Thursday.

EU to provide Ukraine with loan worth up to 35 bln euros

The loan, revealed during Ms von der Leyen's visit to Kyiv, is part of a broader G7 initiative to raise funds by utilising proceeds from frozen Russian assets, imposed as sanctions following the invasion of Ukraine.

"Relentless Russian attacks mean Ukraine requires ongoing EU support," Ms von der Leyen stated in a post on X.

Ukraine's victory hinges on allies, Zelensky says

Ukraine's "victory plan" in its war with Russia hinges on swift decisions from its allies this year, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Friday during a visit from European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

At a joint press conference, Mr Zelensky outlined Ukraine's intention to allocate a proposed multi-billion-dollar European Union loan toward bolstering air defence, strengthening energy infrastructure, and acquiring domestically produced weapons.

G7 leaders to discuss Ukraine's crippled energy infrastructure

Ukraine's severely damaged energy infrastructure will be discussed when energy ministers of the Group of Seven (G7) industrialised powers and other smaller countries meet on Monday.

Since Russia's invasion, Ukraine's energy system has been crippled by attacks, leading to regular blackouts and limited electricity supply for hours of the day.

Its electricity supply shortfall could total six gigawatts this winter, which would equal just one-third of the expected peak demand, the International Energy Agency said in a report published on Thursday.

Antonio Tajani, Italy's foreign minister, said: "There will be an enlarged G7 energy meeting next Monday because we have to guarantee Ukraine the preservation of its energy network."

Pictured: Ursula von der Leyen arrives in Ukraine

Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, has arrived in Ukraine.

She was pictured being given a bouquet to place on a wall commemorating the fallen Ukrainian soldiers in the war with Russia in Kyiv.

Russia rules out Lavrov-Blinken meeting at UN

Sergei Lavrov, the Russian foreign minister, will not meet with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, despite both being in New York for the United Nations General Assembly this weekend, Moscow confirmed on Friday.

Washington is currently considering whether to allow Ukraine to strike targets within Russia.

When asked about a potential meeting between the two diplomats, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov dismissed the idea, saying, "Of course not. What is there to talk about with him (Blinken)?" according to Russian state media.

Ryabkov said Lavrov had a "colossal programme of meetings" in New York that "do not concern Ukraine".

Defending Ukraine 'must not bring world war', Italy says

Working with Ukraine to defend the country from Russia "must not bring world war", the Italian foreign minister said.

Antonio Tajani announced that Italy is due to send another Samp-T anti-missile system to Ukraine to "protect hospitals, schools and universities".

He added that "defending Ukraine does not mean bringing a world war... We are helping Ukraine and must reach a fair peace".

Russia warns West and Ukraine of 'disastrous consequences' if they move against Belarus

Russia on Friday warned the West and Ukraine of "disastrous consequences" if they pursued what it called "provocative scenarios" against Belarus.

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told reporters that Moscow was concerned by what she called increasingly "provocative" Nato activity on the border with Belarus, saying she did not rule out that there could be attempts to escalate in the region.

Russia has deployed tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus, Zakharova added.

Ursula von der Leyen arrives in Ukraine

Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, arrived in Kyiv on Friday to discuss Europe's support for Ukraine.

"My 8th visit to Kyiv comes as the heating season starts soon, and Russia keeps targeting energy infrastructure," Ms von der Leyen said on X.

On Thursday, she said that the 160 million euros collected by the freezing of Russian assets would be allocated to meet Ukraine's humanitarian needs for this winter.

Russia has obliterated Ukraine's energy infrastructure, knocking out a total of 9 gigawatts, which Ms von der Leyen said was the "power equivalent of the three Baltic states".

She added that the EU hopes to restore 2.5 GW of power-generating capacity. It will also increase exports to top supply a further 2 GW.

Later today, Ms von der Leyen is due to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and other senior officials.

Pictured: Ukrainians evacuated from the front lines

Wounded soldiers have been evacuated from Pokrovsk Region in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk.

Commander of the "Da Vinci Wolves" battalion Serhii Filimonov, call sign "Filia," was pictured personally evacuating a injured tank crew member from the battlefield.

During the battle, several pieces of Russian equipment were destroyed, and a Ukrainian tank was hit.

Ukraine downs 61 drones overnight

Ukraine's forces said they destroyed 61 out of 70 Russian attack drones and one out of four missiles launched overnight.

"The air defence system operated in Dnipropetrovsk, Kyiv, Vinnytsia, Cherkasy, Kirovohrad, Sumy, Poltava, Ivano-Frankivsk, Lviv, Khmelnytsky, Mykolaiv, Odesa and Kherson regions," Ukraine's Air Force said on Friday.

Moscow tells US: heed our warnings over escalation

Moscow has urged the United States to heed its warnings on the risks of further escalation around the war in Ukraine, state-run media reported on Friday.

Asked about the prospect of meeting with Antony Blinken, the US secretary of state, the Russian deputy foreign minister said there would be "nothing to talk about".

"We would like to remind the hawks on both sides of the Atlantic... They are playing with fire and have lost all sense of reality," Maria Zakharova, Russia's foreign ministy spokesperson, added.

"The scale of conflict which started because of the West risks becoming completely different, which could bring dangerous consequences for the whole world."

Ukrainian forces 'captured hundreds of conscripts'

Hundreds of Ukrainian soldiers were captured by Ukrainian forces after their incursion into Kursk launched on Aug 6.

Unit commanders 'warned about Ukraine incursion in January'

Russian army unit commanders were warned about a potential incursion by Ukrainian forces as early as January 4, documents seized by Kyiv have revealed.

Just weeks later, on February 19, unit commanders were again warned of Ukrainian plans for a "rapid push from the Sumy region into Russian territory, up to a depth of 80km (50 miles)".

In March, units at the border were told to boost defensive lines and prepare for a Ukrainian attack.

In June, units were warned about specific plans by Ukraine to take control of Sudzha, a town in the Kursk region which continues to be under Ukrainian control.