Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, London, October 24, 2025 (Kirsty Wigglesworth/AP)

Sunday’s Coverage: Russia Murders 3+, Injures 29+ in Kyiv

UPDATE 0722 GMT:

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has complained that the Trump Administration’s position on Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine has “radically” changed.

In an interview with a Hungarian YouTube channel, Lavrov claimed that after the summit with Vladimir Putin in Alaska on August 15, Trump “directly and publicly stated that, in his opinion, this was not about a ceasefire, but about a sustainable, long-term peace”.

But “right now, all they’re talking about is an immediate ceasefire, and then history will judge — this is a radical change,” he blustered.

Lavrov grumbled that the Administration “is under colossal, incredible pressure from European hawks, Vladimir Zelensky, and others who do not want any American-Russian cooperation in any area”.

ORIGINAL ENTRY: Following meetings in Europe last Thursday-Friday, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky has hailed new military commitments from partners on the continent.

In his nightly address to the nation, Zelensky cited France’s pledge of more Mirage fighter jets and air defense missiles. The UK is bolstering air defense with supply of missiles and production of interceptor drones.

He noted that Finland and Spain are contributing to the PURL initiative for NATO members to buy US arms and deliver them to Ukraine. The munitions will include missiles for Patriot air defense systems.

For the world to address Russia from a position of strength, we in Ukraine must stand on strong ground ourselves. It’s crucial to always compare what the Russians were commanded to do and by when, with what they actually managed to achieve. Ukraine’s resistance is truly heroic.

Zelensky also spoke of Russia’s latest missile and drone attacks, murdering three civilians in Kyiv and injuring 31, including at least seven children.

He noted that, in under a week, the Russians had fired almost 1,200 attack drones and 50 missiles.

Protection against such a threat can only be a collective effort. No nation in the world should have to stand alone.

Summarizing the situation on the frontline, he pointed to the “difficult situation” of the concentration of Russian forces near Pokrovsk in the Donetesk region in the east.

The Russians have tried to overrun the logistics hub since July 2024, suffering heavy casualties. But Ukraine’s General Staff acknowledged on Sunday that around 200 of Moscow’s infantry have infiltrated the levelled city, which had a pre-invasion population of about 60,000.

“We must continue resisting the occupiers. We must continue inflicting the greatest possible losses on the Russians,” the President said.