Ukraine-Russia war live: Putin suffers ‘catastrophic’ Satan II missile failure as Zelensky hints at end of war
Ukraine ‘closer to peace than we think’, Zelensky tells allies in Washington
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Russia appears to have suffered a “catastrophic failure” in a test of its Sarmat missile, a key weapon in the modernisation of its nuclear arsenal, according to arms experts who have analysed satellite images of the launch site.
The images captured by Maxar on 21 September show a crater about 60 metres wide at the launch silo at the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in northern Russia. They reveal extensive damage that was not visible in pictures taken earlier in the month.
The RS-28 Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile, known in the West as Satan II, is designed to deliver nuclear warheads against targets thousands of miles away, but its development has been dogged by setbacks.
Meanwhile during his Washington visit, Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine was “closer to the end of the war” with Russia than many people realise.
“I think that we are closer to peace than we think,” he told ABC in an interview that is due to be released in full on Tuesday.
In Kursk, the situation remains “serious” around a Russian nuclear power plant some 40km from territory seized by Ukraine, according to UN nuclear agency chief Rafael Grossi.
Ukraine’s ambassador to the UK gives surprise speech at Labour party conference
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.”
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