Ukraine updates: Drone strike hits Russian munitions depot

UK Defense Minister John Healey on Sunday promised Kyiv new military aid as well as confirming a major defense package pledged by the previous UK government would be delivered "in full to Ukraine within the next 100 days." 

Healey made the comments during a visit to the Black Sea port city of Odesa.

"There may have been a change in government, but the UK is united for Ukraine," said the British politician, who was sworn in on Friday after the Labour Party won a landslide victory in national elections last week.

The package will include artillery guns, 250,000 rounds of ammunition, de-mining vehicles, small military boats, missiles and other equipment, according to the UK's Ministry of Defense.  

Healey met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov while in Odesa on what is Ukraine's annual Navy Day, commemorating the country's sailors.

"Our commitment to stand with the Ukrainian people is absolute, as is our resolve to confront Russian aggression and pursue [Russian President Vladimir] Putin for his war crimes," said Healey. "This government is steadfast in our commitment to continue supplying military assistance and will stand shoulder to shoulder with our Ukrainian friends for as long as it takes."

Netherlands Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans and Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp were in Kyiv on Sunday for meetings with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and other senior officials.

The ministers, who were appointed last week, said Dutch support for Ukraine was, "rock solid."

"My message to all the officials in the Ukrainian government is that the Netherlands stands by Ukraine and will continue to support Ukraine in political, military, financial and moral ways," said Veldkamp according to Reuters news agency.

Though the Netherlands has been a key EU ally of Kyiv, doubts over the country's commitment arose when far-right parties won a national election last year.

Currently, the country is working to ensure the delivery of US-made F-16 fighter jets to help bolster Ukraine's air defenses. Defense Minister Brekelmans said the Netherlands would be delivering missile launchers and a radar system to that end as well. 

Foreign Minister Veldkamp also promised financial assistance to Kyiv to aid the forensic identification of Ukrainians killed at the front as well as to help identify and return children abducted by Russia.

UK Foreign Minister David Lammy met with his Polish counterpart Radek Sikorsky on Sunday as part of his first trip abroad since being appointed on Friday.

Lammy and the UK's new Labour government are seeking to reset relations with European partners, with the new foreign minister stating that he would visit "key partners" Germany, Poland and Sweden for security and cooperation talks, especially as regards support for Ukraine in its ongoing war against invading Russian forces.

The diplomat said Britain's economic and security support for Kyiv would be unwavering, and that his government would seek a "reset" with European partners on climate protection, energy and immigration.  

Lammy's appointment followed a landslide victory for the Labour Party in elections called by now former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, a Conservative.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer will fly to Washington, D.C., on Tuesday to attend a NATO summit hosted by President Joe Biden.  

Russia's Defense Ministry on Sunday claimed the capture of another village in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region.

In a daily briefing on the Telegram messaging service, Russia's Ministry of Defense said that forces had "liberated Chigari (Donetsk People’s Republic) and improved the tactical situation."

On Saturday, Russia claimed to have taken control of another village in the same region, where Ukraine says fierce fighting is currently taking place.

Russian forces have been slowly advancing in the Donetsk region since the beginning of the year, starting with the capture of Avdiivka in February.

Both sides however have been locked in a grinding battle of attrition with neither side able to make considerable gains.

kb/rc (AFP, AP, dpa, Reuters)

A Russian munitions depot was hit in an overnight drone strike in Russia's Voronezh region, situated near the border with Ukraine, according to Russian and Ukrainian officials.

"Several drones were detected and destroyed overnight by air defense systems above the Voronezh region," regional governor Alexander Gusev wrote on Telegram.

"Their falling debris set off a fire in a depot" in the Podgorensky district, about 80 kilometers (50 miles) from the Ukrainian border.

"Explosives began to detonate", Gusev said and added that there were no indications anybody had been hurt.

AFP news agency cited a Ukrainian military source as saying that drones hit a munitions factory in the overnight strike.

"The enemy stored surface-to-surface and surface-to-air missiles, shells for tanks and artillery and boxes of ammunition" at the site, which was hit by drones resulting in a "powerful" explosion, AFP quoted the source as saying.

Both Russia and Ukraine have used drones with increasing frequency since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022.

Ukraine's air force reported that Russia fired two ballistic missiles and 13 Shahed drones overnight, all of which it said, were shot down.