Here are the highlights of events related to the war in Ukraine over the past 24 hours:

London will supply Kyiv with long-range missile systems

Britain has said it will follow the actions of the United States and send long-range missile systems to Ukraine, ignoring warnings from Russian President Vladimir Putin that Kyiv must not be supplied with modern weapons.

The UK Ministry of Defense said London had coordinated in close cooperation with Washington on the provision of multi-role missile systems, known as MLRS, to help Ukraine defend itself against Russian aggression.

M270 launchers that can hit targets up to 80 km away with precision guided missiles, will "offer a significant increase in the potential of Ukrainian forces," the ministry added.

Last week, the United States announced that it would provide Kyiv with its highly mobile artillery missile system, known as HIMARS, which can launch several precision-guided missiles simultaneously and surpass Ukraine's existing systems in scope and accuracy.

US President Joe Biden has ruled out the possibility of supplying Kyiv with systems that can reach Russia, despite Ukraine's repeated requests for them.

The move by the United States prompted Putin to warn yesterday that Moscow would strike "new unspecified targets" if the West delivered missiles to Ukraine, and said new arms supplies to Kyiv were aimed at "prolonging the conflict."

But presenting the UK's decision, Defense Secretary Ben Wallace insisted that Ukraine's Western allies must continue to supply arms so that it can "win" its war by repelling invading Russian forces.

"The United Kingdom is supporting Ukraine in this battle and is taking the lead in supplying its heroic forces with the vital weapons they need to protect their country from unprovoked invasion," he said in a statement.

"As Russia's tactics change, so must our support for Ukraine. These highly capable multi-role missile systems will allow our Ukrainian friends to better defend themselves against the brutal use of long-range artillery by Putin's forces who use them indiscriminately to level cities to the ground, "Wallace said.

Rogozin threatens Bulgaria with Sarmat missile

The head of the Russian space agency Dmitry Rogozin threatened Bulgaria with the intercontinental missile "Sarmat"

The reason for his statement on Twitter was the refusal of the Bulgarian side to allow the flight of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to Serbia, as a result of which the visit was canceled. Rogozin wrote that Sarmat would not ask for permission

Read more about this story here.

Zelensky visited the front line in Donbas

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he had visited two cities near the front line in clashes with the Russian army after meeting with troops in the Zaporizhzhia region, Reuters reported.

"Then I went east with the head of my office. We were in Lysychansk and Soledar," the Ukrainian president said in his evening video address. "I am proud of everyone I met, everyone I shook hands with, everyone I contacted and expressed my support for."

Lysychansk is part of the Luhansk region, and Soledar - of the Donetsk region. Together, the two areas are known as Donbas, the focus of Russia's offensive in eastern Ukraine, according to Reuters.

Zelensky's visit is a demonstration that Ukraine is in control of roads to areas of active hostilities.

Earlier today, Kyiv said that its forces have regained half of the key city of Sievierodonetsk, recalls AFP.

Russia has struck back at Kyiv, and Putin has threatened new attacks

Russia has launched a missile strike on Kyiv for the first time in more than a month, and President Vladimir Putin has warned that it will strike new targets if Western countries supply Ukraine with longer-range missiles, Reuters reported.

Ukrainian officials say a counterattack has recaptured half of Sievierodonetsk, the main battlefield in the eastern part of the country, where Russia has recently concentrated its forces.

One person was taken to hospital during the attack in Kyiv, no casualties were reported. After the Russian attack, the dark smoke could be seen many kilometers from the capital.

Ukraine said the strike affected a railway car repair plant, while Moscow said it had destroyed tanks sent by Eastern European countries to Ukraine. Ukrainian Railways chief Oleksandr Kamyshin confirmed that four missiles had struck a car repair plant in Darnitsa, eastern Kyiv, but said no military equipment was on site.

The strike was a sudden reminder of the war in Kyiv, where normalcy has largely returned after Russian forces were driven from its outskirts in March.

"The missile strikes on Kyiv have only one goal - to kill as many people as possible," Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak wrote on Twitter.

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