Ukraine-Russia war live: Kyiv children’s hospital hit during daytime missile attack

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that he expects the upcoming Nato summit to provide specific steps to strengthen his country’s air defences against Russia, hours after a Russian missile attack killed at least 31 people and wounded 154 others in various locations, including a children’s hospital in Kyiv.

Mr Zelensky met with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk in Warsaw to discuss further support for Ukraine from Nato, as well as signing a bilateral cooperation and defence document.

“We would like to see greater resolve in our partners and hear resolute responses to these attacks,” Mr Zelensky told a joint news conference, stressing that Ukraine will take its own retaliatory steps.

“I can see a possibility for our partners to use their air defence systems in a way to hit .. the missiles that are carrying out attacks on our country,” Zelenskyy said.

Mr Zelensky stopped in Warsaw en route to a Nato summit, which begins Tuesday in Washington, marking the Western defence alliance’s 75th anniversary.

At the start of the news conference with Mr Tusk, Mr Zelensky asked those gathered to observe a moment of silence for the victims of Monday’s airstrikes.

Mr Tusk offered every available form of help for the children evacuated from the bombed hospital.

The two leaders signed a co-operation and defence agreement that spells out Poland’s continued support for Ukraine in defence, especially air defence, energy security for Ukraine, and Poland’s participation in reconstruction.

Elina Svitolina has said she is “honoured” to be one of the faces of Ukraine, as she expressed her gratitude for the messages of support she has been receiving as she competes at Wimbledon.

The Ukrainian tennis player was asked at a press conference on Monday following her fourth-round win: “Given your performances, you mentioned the messages you received after your performances, you’ve been in touch with fellow athletes. How is that helping you on the court?”

She replied: “Yes, so I’ve been talking to [a] few of them. I feel like us as athletes, we have our platform. We represent our country on the world stages. I feel like we are almost as powerful as some people who are representing our government. Every single week we are competing on the big stages, and we have this big platform. We’re representing not only ourselves, but also Ukrainian people.

“The support that we have been getting, it’s been great. Yeah, I feel like we need to continue using it. Yeah, for sure it’s a lot of pressure and a lot of I would say weight on the shoulders that we have. But me personally, from my side, I feel honored to be one of the faces of Ukraine. Yeah, I try to do my very best every single day to give this to my people.

Ukrainian tennis player Elina Svitolina has committed to shaking the hand of her next opponent Elena Rybakina, who was born and raised in Russia.

Following her fourth-round win on Monday, Ms Svitolina said: “She changed her nationality, so it means she doesn’t want to represent her original country, so it works.”

Elina Svitolina has criticised Wimbledon’s policy of allowing Russian players to compete under a neutral flag.

When asked if she believes Russian players should be banned from competing at the tournament entirely as they were in 2022, she said: “Of course, I would prefer that. But it is how it is now. I cannot change. We tried every possible way to talk with many organizations.

“Yeah, for now, I just want to raise awareness, to raise funds for people in need, to raise support for the kids through my foundation, through United24. So many ways we can help people and not only focus on the things we cannot control.”

Elina Svitolina has said most of her family and friends are still based in Ukraine amid Russia’s invasion of the country.

Following her Wimbledon win, the tennis player told reporters: “I have my family there. My dad just was there for a couple of weeks to see my grandmother. I have my uncle. His family is there. I have many friends there. Pretty much everyone is based in Ukraine.

“I have contact pretty much every single day.

“I’ve been talking, yeah, on a daily basis with Sergiy Stakhovsky as well. I guess you guys know him. Also a well-known name in tennis. He’s helping a lot with my foundation. He’s my close friend. It was nice to hear from him and hear also what is really happening. To not only find out the news from the media, but also from my friends and family.

“Yeah, it’s nice to hear their voices. Of course, sad voices, but in a way it still warms my heart when I speak with them.”

Elina Svitolina has said raising awareness of the ongoing war in Ukraine motivated her to play at Wimbledon after she won her fourth-round match.

She was asked at a press conference following the match on Monday: “How important is it for you that you’re using your platform here at Wimbledon to keep awareness of this issue and these attacks on the hospital and in general Russia’s attacks in your country?”

The Ukrainian tennis player responded: “Yeah, of course, this is one of the things that motivated me today, was just I have to put my head down and show up and do my best, my very best.

“Every Ukrainian is using their own way to raise awareness, to raise money, to help in every possible way they can. My way is through tennis. This [is] what’s really motivated me today to do something. I tried to be focused on my job, tried to be focused on what I can control. Just do what I can in a way.

“I’m playing, of course, such an amazing event as Wimbledon. I have to also think about how I can use that in a way for Ukrainian people. At least with my win today, it was a small light that brought a happy moment for Ukrainian people. I got so many messages today. The people are thankful for my performance, for my win today.

“Of course, it’s brings me a lot of, let’s say, joy in a way of this sad day.”

Elina Svitolina has described today as an “incredibly sad day for all Ukrainians” after she won her fourth-round match at Wimbledon following a major Russian missile attack on Ukraine that killed at least 36 people.

Speaking to reporters following the match, she said: “It’s [an] incredibly sad day today for all Ukrainians.

“It was really difficult for me to really be here in a way and do anything. I just wanted to be in my room, just be there with my emotions, with everything. You know, when you have these sad days where you don’t want to do anything, it was this kind of day for me.

“It’s difficult really to explain, I guess, because of course for us Ukrainians, it’s very close to our hearts and [a] very sensitive topic, very sensitive emotions that we feel every single day.

“But today was one of the days where it was even more difficult because the missile landed on the hospital, the kids’ hospital. Straightaway you see the images and everything that happened there. So many kids lost their lives.

“Yeah, it’s [an] extremely tough day today.”

Ukrainian Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin said he had discussed a deadly Russian attack on Ukraine on Monday with International Criminal Court (ICC) Prosecutor Karim Khan.

“We are sending all information and evidence about attacks on Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities to the ICC prosecutor’s office,” he told national TV.

At least 36 people were killed across Ukraine in Monday’s attack, which partially destroyed a children’s hospital in Kyiv.

The UK foreign secretary David Lammy has condemned Russia’s “appalling” attack on Ukraine which has left up to 36 people dead and many more injured.

Mr Lammy, who became foreign secretary on Friday, said: “Russia’s strike on the Okhmatdyt Children’s Hospital in Kyiv is an appalling attack on Ukrainian civilians.

“My thoughts are with all the victims and their loved ones. The UK’s support to Ukraine is iron-clad. We must hold those responsible for Putin’s illegal war to account.”