Russia-Ukraine war – live: Pictures show damage after drone attack on Ukrainian power plant

David Cameron is set to meet US Secretary of State Antony Blinken today on his trip to Washington to urge the lawmakers in Congress to clear an aid package for Ukraine alongside talks on the Israel-Gaza war.

“Success for Ukraine and failure for Putin are vital for American and European security,” the foreign secretary said in a statement, adding that it was important to demonstrate to Russian president Vladimir Putin that “aggression doesn’t pay”.

“The alternative would only encourage Putin in further attempts to re-draw European borders by force, and would be heard clearly in Beijing, Tehran and North Korea,” he added.

Lord Cameron is also likely to meet Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson and urge him to pass the long overdue $60bn package of military aid for Ukraine. He is also going to meet congressional leaders from both the Republicans and the Democrats, the foreign ministry said.

The foreign secretary will also underline that the US is the “key stone in the arch” as its pace and scale of support for Ukraine is unmatched.

According to the ministry, Lord Cameron will stress the importance of increasing economic pressure on Russia and giving Ukraine “the military and humanitarian support it needs to hold the line this year and go on the offensive in 2025” the foreign ministry said.

Russian attacks dispersed through different regions of Ukraine killed five people on Monday, officials said.

A missile strike killed three people and injured at least eight in the southern city of Zaporizhzhia, regional governor Ivan Fedorov said.

An industrial building, seven apartment blocks, as well as medical and educational facilities were damaged, authorities said. They did not disclose the nature of the industrial site.

Authorities reported four guided bombs had hit the town of Bilopillia in northern Sumy region, killing a woman and injuring three other people.

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, in his nightly video address, said the attack targeted the centre of the town of 15,000 and rescue efforts went on into the evening.

Shops and a city council building were damaged, the regional administration said.

The governor of central Poltava region said a Russian attack killed one person, injured 10 and damaged several dwellings. The governor did not say in which locality the attack took place.

Russia’s ambassador to the UN nuclear watchdog said his country had called an emergency meeting of the watchdog’s 35-nation Board of Governors over what it claims are Ukrainian attacks on the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP).

“Russia requested an extraordinary session of the Board with regard to the recent attacks and provocations of the armed forces of Ukraine against the #ZNPP,” Mikhail Ulyanov said on social media platform X.

The Board’s rules state that any country on it, such as Russia, can call a meeting.

However, the IAEA has not issued any comment on Russia’s request seeking an emergency meeting.

Russia has asked Kazakhstan to be ready to supply the country with 100,000 tons of gasoline in case of Russian gasoline shortages caused by an increase of Ukrainian drone attacks on oil refineries.

One of the industry sources told Reuters that an agreement to use Kazakh reserves has already been reached. An advisor to Kazakhstan’s energy minister denied Russia has even made such a request.

The alleged request from Russia comes as Ukraine continues to target Russian oil refineries in retaliation for increased Russian attacks on Ukrainian critical infrastructure.

Speaking to The Independent from an undisclosed location in Donetsk, deputy commander of Ukraine’s 3rd Assault Brigade, Maksym Zhorin, issued a troubling warning to Kyiv’s Western partners.

The West, he said, must urgently prepare. “Create serious defence systems that could counteract Russia because it will undoubtedly open its mouth and try to swallow the rest of Europe,” he warned.

“Today, a kamikaze drone was shot down over the plant. It fell on the roof of Unit 6,” the Russia-controlled plant said, below a picture of reactor No. 6, which is currently shut down.

Russia said on Monday that Ukraine had endangered European nuclear security by attacking the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station with a drone which was shot down over a reactor.

Ukraine has denied it is behind a series of drone attacks on the plant over the past 48 hours, including three drone attacks on Sunday, which the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said had endangered nuclear safety.

A photo shows the remains of what the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant officials call a Ukrainian drone that was shot down over the station.

Three civilians were killed in a Russian missile attack on the infrastructure facility in Zaporizhzhia, according to the Prosecutor General’s Office.

The attack was reported at around 12.30pm on Monday at one of the enterprises.

“As a result of the strike, three civilians died and there are also wounded. Casualty reports are being verified,” they said.

Images have been released of workers trying to repair a thermal power plant damaged by a recent Russian missile strike.

Ukrainian forces haven’t revealed the location of the strike.

The second picture shows pressure gauges destroyed in the drone attack.