As the war enters its 929th day, these are the main developments.
Here is the situation on Wednesday, September 11, 2024.
Fighting
- The Ukrainian Air Force said it shot down 20 of 25 Russia-launched drones overnight into Wednesday.
- Russia’s Ministry of Defence said its troops have pushed forward 1,000 square kilometres (390 square miles) into eastern Ukraine since early August, despite Ukraine’s offensive into western Russia.
- A Russian freight train derailed in the region of Belgorod near the Ukrainian border after “the intervention of non-authorised people”, Russia’s national rail operator said.
- No casualties were reported. Since the start of Russia’s invasion in 2022, its rail network – key to moving weapons and soldiers to the front lines – has suffered numerous sabotage attempts.
Politics and diplomacy:
- United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken and British Foreign Secretary David Lammy are travelling to Kyiv in a rare joint trip to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who has pressed for the West to send more weapons and lift restrictions on their use deeper into Russia.
- Blinken said the US is committed to providing Ukraine “what they need when they need it to be most effective in dealing with the Russian aggression”.
- Zelenskyy promised to forge a strong global response to any power supporting Russia’s war effort, saying, “We will do everything not just to defend our state and people, but to truly consolidate the world.”
- Former US President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris clashed over US policy on the war in Ukraine during their first presidential debate. Trump said he would press to “just get this war finished and get it done” if elected. Harris accused Trump of being willing to “give up” to pressure from Russian President Vladimir Putin, who she said would “eat you for lunch”.
Weapons
- The US formally accused Iran of supplying ballistic missiles to Russia for use against Ukraine and piled more sanctions on the country, targeting ships and companies it claimed are linked to its weapons shipments.
- Britain, France and Germany announced they would sever aviation agreements with Iran and sanction its national air carrier over Tehran’s alleged supply of missiles to Russia.
- Iran denied it was sending missiles to Russia and promised to respond to the new sanctions.
- “This action of the three European countries is the continuation of the hostile policy of the West and economic terrorism against the people of Iran, which will face the appropriate and proportionate action of the Islamic Republic of Iran,” said Nasser Kanaani, spokesman of Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
- US President Joe Biden, asked whether he would remove restrictions on Ukraine using long-range weapons deep inside Russia, said his administration is “working that out”.
- Ukraine blamed Russian air force commander Sergei Kobylash for ordering a July 8 strike against a children’s hospital in Kyiv that killed two people and destroyed much of the facility.
