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.
Poll reveals increasing support for Russian withdrawal
A new poll has revealed that half of Russians now want their soldiers to return home from Ukraine.
Despite the Kremlin’s pro-war propaganda, recent setbacks, including Ukraine’s counter-offensive into Russia’s Kursk region, have shaken public morale, the survey revealed.
The poll, conducted by independent Russian pollster Chronicles, shows a 9 per cent increase since January in those supporting peace talks, with 49 per cent now favouring withdrawal, according to Newsweek.
Aleksei Miniailo, a Russian opposition politician and co-founder of Chronicles told the outlet: “The longer the war drags on, the less people have faith that it will end in a beneficial way for them and for Russia.
“The Ukrainian invasion into the Kursk region was a shocking thing for many and decreased the number of those who want to fight till the goals (of the war) are reached.”
This comes amid reports of significant Russian casualties, with around 70,000 soldiers killed and 600,000 wounded in the war.
900 glide bombs dropped in a week on Ukraine
Russia intensified its aerial assault on Ukraine, dropping over 900 glide bombs, 400 Shahed drones, and nearly 30 missiles this week, according to Volodymyr Zelensky.
A barrage on Friday left at least 15 people injured in Kharkiv, including children, while bombs struck apartment buildings on Saturday, wounding 21 people, among them an eight-year-old child.
According to The Telegraph, the bombs, particularly KAB-type aerial glide bombs, were used in both instances.
Ukraine has struggled to counter these bombs and continues to request long-range missiles from Western allies to strike Russian territory, though restrictions are still in place.
“There are no words to describe the aftermath of a glide bomb attack,” Vovchansk police chief Oleksii Kharkivsky said in May. “You arrive to see people who are lying there, torn apart.”
Russia’s bid to derail UN’s ‘pact for the future’ rejected
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”.
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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