Ukraine bombarded as Zelenskyy attends EU summit just 25km from border
Three people have been killed and 16 wounded, as Russia launches airstrikes on Kyiv
Russia has carried out a fresh bombardment of Kyiv, killing three people including a nine-year-old child and her mother as well as wounding 16 others on Thursday morning.
But less than 25km from the Ukrainian border, Moldova was preparing to host 50 European leaders - including President Volodymyr Zelenskyy - who are meeting to shore up support for Ukraine against ever-present Russian attacks.
Rishi Sunak, who is planning to talk about illegal immigration, is also attending, however it is understood top leaders from the European Union want to use it to persuade former Soviet countries to back Ukraine.
Mr Zelenskyy's military is said to be planning a counteroffensive against Russia and he's likely to renew pleas for Ukraine's allies to provide more weapons ahead of the attack.
He's meeting the likes of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, European Council President Charles Michel, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron at the at Mimi Castle in Bulboaca near Chisinau - less than 500km from the Kyiv bombing.
The move to hold the summit so close to Ukraine is being viewed as a symbolic message to show the Kremlin that Kyiv still enjoys strong support in Europe.
“It’s important that this message reaches Russia," top EU diplomat Josep Borrell said.
"Russia is not here, not because we don’t want to invite Russia, but because Putin’s Russia was excluded from this community by launching this attack, this war — unjustified — against Ukraine.”
Speaking to broadcasters at the summit, Mr Sunak said: “Ukraine’s rightful place is in Nato and what we are also talking to Ukraine about right now is making sure they have all the support they need for a successful counter-offensive.”
He said he was “proud” of the UK’s record in supporting Ukraine, adding: “We want to make sure we put in place security arrangements for Ukraine for the long term, so we send a very strong signal to Vladimir Putin that we are not going anywhere, we are here to stay and we will continue backing Ukraine – not just now, but for years into the future.”
After arriving for the summit, President Zelenskyy said: "I think security guarantees are very important, not only for Ukraine, but for our neighbors, for Moldova, because of Russian aggression in Ukraine and potential aggression in other parts of Europe."
The Kremlin has repeatedly targeted Kyiv with waves of drone and missile attacks since the start of the invasion 15 months ago, but attacks against the capital have significantly intensified over the past month.
Ukrainian air defence shot down all 10 cruise and ballistic Russian missiles in Thursday morning's attack but falling debris killed three people and wounded 16.
Kyiv resident Nikita Maslun who witnessed the bombing said she "woke up and saw the fire" at around 3am.
"My door was smashed, I woke up my mom and ran to the corridor," said, "then we went down and ran outside. We saw people running. Windows were shattered and balconies destroyed.”
Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know...
Prime Minister Sunak said “Europe is facing unprecedented threats at our borders" ahead of the summit.
"From (Russian president Vladimir) Putin’s utter contempt of other countries’ sovereignty to the rise in organised immigration crime across our continent.
“We cannot address these problems without Europe’s governments and institutions working closely together.
"In every meeting, every summit, every international gathering like this, the security of our borders must be top of the agenda.
“The UK will be at the heart of this international effort to stop the boats and defend our national security.”