Volodymyr Zelensky has promised to respond to Russia’s pummelling of Kyiv after the capital was subjected to relentless strikes over five consecutive days.
The Ukrainian president said Russia had launched nearly 2,000 drones, more than 1,600 bombs, and dozens of missiles in Ukraine last week, as he vowed to seek “just responses to every Russian strike”.
Overnight on Saturday, 38 people were killed after an attack on an ammunition depot in Kyiv triggered detonations and a large fire.
It comes as Russia’s defence ministry has announced it is preparing “massive strikes” on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure in retaliation for a drone campaign by Kyiv attacking warehouses and oil and gas facilities.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said the move would be an “appropriate response” to Ukraine’s “path of escalation” and said that Moscow had been “fairly systematic” in attacking Kyiv’s military infrastructure.
Ukraine has targeted online retailers Wildberries - often referred to as Russia’s Amazon - and Ozon, accusing the companies of selling goods that have aided the military, claims that they deny.
Charred vehicles line empty roads littered with the debris of destroyed buildings, while the thud of artillery fire gives way to the sharp, high-pitched hum of an attack drone.
This is today's reality in the eastern Ukrainian town of Druzhkivka, where a remnant of civilians live alongside troops fighting Russian forces who are now only 15 km (nine miles) away and steadily edging closer.
Widespread ruin of this nature is mirrored along the entire 1,200-km (746-mile) front line across the east and south. As Russian forces push ahead, apartment blocks, local markets and shops are flattened, rendering whole communities virtually uninhabitable.
"I can't sleep," said Iryna Litovchenko, one of a handful of civilians who have stayed. "Some guys took us in - strangers," added the 56-year-old, walking through broken glass and debris beside badly damaged buildings.
"My home is gone, as if it never existed. There were so many good things, so much of everything. In one fell swoop – boom — it's as if nothing's left."
Russia has launched nearly 2,000 strike drones, more than 1,600 aerial bombs, and 31 missiles in Ukraine this week, its president said on Sunday.
Volodymyr Zelensky said strikes were “virtually constant” in Nikopol, Kramatorsk, Kherson, and communities in the Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, Dnipro, Donetsk, and Sumy regions.
“We are seeking just responses to every Russian strike and crime. They will certainly come,” he said.
Russia's Rosatom state nuclear corporation said on Monday that its priority was to keep the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southeast Ukraine supplied with diesel fuel in the absence of an external power source.
Alexei Likhachev, Rosatom's head, said in a statement that the situation at the plant was under full control as it was kept functioning on its backup diesel generators.
But he said such a situation could not go on indefinitely and that it was essential to restore external power lines.
He said he hoped that a local ceasefire could be arranged to pause fighting between Russia and Ukraine in order to carry out repairs to the Ferrosplavnaya-1 power line, which supplies electricity to the plant.
Russia has targeted Ukrainian printing presses and publishing houses in recent attacks, destroying more than 12 million books ahead of the first week back at school.
A plant on the edge of Kyiv was hit overnight as production was ramping up to deliver 1.3 million books, BBC reported.
Recently, Russia also targeted a second-hand book market in Kyiv, destroying hundreds of stalls.
Viktoria Haida, the commercial director of the bombed Konvi publishing firm in Kyiv told BBC: “I believe it is deliberate on the part of the Russian Federation.
“Over the past two months, some of the largest publishing houses have lost their logistics warehouses, where very large quantities of books were stored.”
A logistics hub in Russia's Yekaterinburg was attacked by drones, the local governor said on Monday.
Drones and debris struck residential buildings and a logistics centre, he said without naming the target of the attack.
There were no casualties, he added.
Ukraine’s new defence minister Yevhen Khmara said the ministry has options for closing the $27bn funding gap he inherited from his predecessor, including seeking more contributions from allies.
Khmara made the remarks at his first briefing with reporters since taking the post Saturday.
His appointment followed weeks of protests after Mykhailo Fedorov's dismissal that sparked a military reset in Kyiv and culminated in a video in which Fedorov called for a new presidential election.
Khmara, a former special forces officer, takes over as Kyiv's war effort faces mounting financial pressures.
He said a priority will be avoiding battlefield shortages while ensuring soldiers are paid and other essential needs are met.
The ministry is considering bringing forward part of a €90bn (£76.9bn) European loan planned for next year, and has identified partners for separate talks on financing specific defense needs, he said.
“Ukraine will show its partners a clear vision and a clear plan,” he vowed, adding he planned to preserve much of the existing ministry team.
Russian warships have been tracked by the Navy through UK waters in an “intense” 72-hour operation.
A task group was shadowed by Type 45 destroyer HMS Duncan, Type 23 frigate HMS St Albans and patrol vessel HMS Severn as it made its way from the North Sea through the English Channel.
Russian destroyer Admiral Levchenko was watched escorting sanctioned cargo vessels General Skobelev and Sparta, with a Merlin helicopter extending the UK’s surveillance as the ships approached the Strait of Dover.
In response to the tracking, Russia deployed other military resources including the Neustrashimy frigate to guard the illegal shipment, UK officials said.
First Sea Lord General Sir Gwyn Jenkins said there was “no room for complacency” as shadow fleet vessels continue to pose “an unacceptable risk” to maritime security and the environment.
“Alongside our allies, this approach is forcing Moscow to divert Russian warships away from their core purpose. That is because Russia knows we stand ready to act again, should it be required,” he said.
The director of the CIA had proposed a meeting between the leaders of Russia, Ukraine, and the US when he visited Moscow, sources say.
During his secret meeting with Russian officials, CIA director John Ratcliffe had floated a summit with Vladimir Putin, Volodymyr Zelensky, and Donald Trump, Axios reported.
It comes after talks between Ukraine and Russia were paused in February, when the US invaded Iran.
The US has held talks with negotiators from both sides in recent months, but little progress has been made.
Kyrylo Budanov, Ukraine’s head of office, said this week that talks with Russia could resume in September.
Ratcliffe’s visit to Moscow on Tuesday, which was not announced in advance, has sparked much speculation.
President Trump played down the visit, saying it was “semi-routine”.
