Addressing the UN late Wednesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said the missiles hit a train at a station in the town of Chaplyne, about 145 kilometers (90 miles) west of Donetsk in eastern Ukraine. “Rescuers are working, but, unfortunately, the death toll may rise,” Zelenskiy said. An 11-year-old child was killed in the attack, Kirill Tymoshenko, deputy head of Ukraine’s presidential administration, said in a message on his Telegram channel. Ukraine had braced for particularly heavy attacks around the national holiday commemorating its declaration of independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. Earlier in the day, air raid sirens had sounded across every meter of Ukrainian-controlled territory. The sense of foreboding deepened with a warning from the White House that the Russians had stepped up preparations to hold mock referendums in occupied territories as a precursor to annexations and that they could begin “in days or weeks.” Joe Biden announced an additional $3 billion in military aid, including anti-aircraft missiles, artillery, defense drones and radar equipment, as a sign of US support on Ukraine’s independence day, as senior politicians from across Europe traveled to Kyiv for to show their support in person, despite security warnings, including a US call for its citizens to leave the country. UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, on his third visit to the country since Russia’s invasion, urged the international community to “stay the course” in its support for Ukraine. He also told Zelensky that Ukraine “can and will win the war.” It has been 31 years since Ukraine declared independence from the Soviet Union and six months since Russia launched a war aimed at reversing that step away from Moscow’s control. Many in the capital on Wednesday took stock of both their achievements and their losses. Few outside Ukraine, even among its allies, expected the country to contain the Russian military so effectively, including in a decisive victory outside Kyiv. But the country has paid a terrible human price for its success so far. Thousands of civilians have been killed since the war began on February 24, while Ukraine has acknowledged 9,000 military deaths, millions have lost their homes or been forced into exile, and there is no hope that an end to the fighting is in sight. “I am constantly worried and praying that our skies will remain blue, and I understand that people are giving their lives for this,” said Yana Pasychnyk, a choral singer in one of Ukraine’s national choirs. He was heading home after a performance at Kyiv’s Hagia Sophia Cathedral. “As I speak to you now, I am having fights. People I know, even my godfather, are fighting at the front. There is no celebration today. I can’t even believe this is happening.” Earlier, Zelensky told fellow citizens that their country was reborn when Russia invaded, in a speech recorded on the steps of the capital’s independence monument. Archie Bland and Nimo Omer take you to the top stories and what they mean, free every weekday morning Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online advertising and content sponsored by external parties. For more information, see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and Google’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. “A new nation appeared in the world on February 24 at four in the morning. He was not born, but reborn. A nation that did not cry, scream or fear. One that didn’t run away. He did not quit. And I didn’t forget,” he said. He vowed to keep fighting until Ukraine recaptures annexed Crimea and occupied territories in the east. “What is the end of war for us? We were talking about peace. Now we call it victory.” A spokesman for Biden’s national security council, John Kirby, warned that Moscow was preparing to hold referendums in the occupied territories. “We have information that Russia continues to prepare to hold this sham referendum in Kherson, Zaporizhia and the so-called people’s republics of Donetsk and Luhansk,” Kirby said. “We have also learned that the Russian leadership has instructed officials to start preparing to hold fake referendums, particularly in Kharkiv as well. And those referendums could begin in a matter of days or weeks. In fact, we may see a Russian announcement of the first or first before the end of this week.” Kirby said holding referendums, intended as a prelude to annexation, was proving challenging for Russian organizers in the face of near-total opposition by Ukraine’s population. “Our information is that Russian officials are so concerned that there will be low voter turnout … that they are trying to work on solutions and how they would communicate that,” he said, but did not describe what those “solutions” might be. Meanwhile, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu claimed the slowdown in Russia’s military campaign in Ukraine was deliberate and driven by the need to reduce civilian casualties. Shoigu said: “Everything is being done to avoid civilian casualties. Of course, that slows down the tempo of the attack, but we do it on purpose.” Zelensky had warned on the eve of the holiday that Ukraine could face “disgusting Russian provocations” and urged citizens to heed air strike warnings – often ignored by a population now scarred by the dangers of war. Zelensky also celebrated national unity, which has been bolstered by a strong government messaging campaign. “We are fighting against the most formidable threat to our state and also at a time when we have achieved the greatest level of national unity,” he said. A display of damaged Russian tanks and other military equipment on the capital’s main street replaced the usual military parade in central Kiev, canceled amid fears such a symbolic day could attract new attacks. It was both a celebration of Ukraine’s military success and a trolling of Moscow’s hopes for a quick victory. he had sent some soldiers to fight in parade uniforms which they expected to use in Kyiv.
