Ukraine, ‘Volunteers’ summit: 6.1 billion from the EU. Zelensky: ‘We will never be under the Tsar’s boot’

To mark Ukraine’s Independence Day, the European Commission has approved new defence contracts for Ukraine worth €6.1 billion. These funds are earmarked for air defence and anti-missile systems, missiles, ammunition and radar, confirming Europe’s commitment to supporting Ukraine’s defence and resilience in the face of Russia’s ongoing aggression. The EU executive announced this in a statement.

For weeks, Russia has stepped up its attacks on Kyiv and other urban areas. According to the United Nations, the bombardments have contributed to Ukraine recording its highest number of civilian casualties since the start of the war in 2026.

Last week, the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky called for a global response to the ‘escalation’ of the conflict – which has now been ongoing for four years – by Moscow. Zelensky has recently spoken of a plan to end the war, which provides for ‘a ceasefire, a free economic zone and the withdrawal of troops’, drawn up in collaboration with the US and Europe.

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham is in Kyiv for his first international trip since taking office at the end of July, again to mark the anniversary of independence. He laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at the Hatne National Military Cemetery, south-west of Kyiv, on his first overseas visit as Labour Prime Minister. He was welcomed on his arrival in the Ukrainian capital by the Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha. “It is a privilege to be here,” said Burnham. One of the most eagerly anticipated moments of Burnham’s visit is the announcement that London will authorise the defence firm MBDA to declassify confidential information on the British components of the Storm Shadow long-range missile, to enable Kyiv to manufacture the weapon system for use against targets deep within Russian territory. Meanwhile, Pope Leo’s envoy, Monsignor Paul Richard Gallagher, is arriving in Moscow today.

On the war front, two children have died and seven others have been injured at a private nursery hit by debris from Ukrainian drones shot down over the southern Russian city of Krasnodar, according to reports in the media in Kyiv and Moscow, citing local authorities. Two adults were also injured in the incident. The attack caused a major fire at a nearby Ozon warehouse, the Russian e-commerce firm reported, adding that no staff members were injured.

This is the third consecutive day that Ozon has been targeted, following Ukraine’s announcement of a wider campaign against Russian logistics infrastructure. For months, Kyiv has been targeting the warehouses of Wildberries, the country’s largest online retailer, claiming that it supplies components to the Russian army. Attacks on these commercial sites, which are far less well-protected than military targets, have already caused billions of dollars’ worth of damage, with several facilities completely destroyed by fire.

Moscow has condemned the attacks on its ‘civilian infrastructure’, more than four years after the start of its large-scale offensive in Ukraine, which has caused tens of thousands of deaths and reduced entire cities to rubble.