Trump considering Tomahawks' request from Zelenskyy

The United States is considering Ukraine's request to obtain long-range Tomahawk missiles for its continued defensive efforts to push back against Russia, Vice President JD Vance said.

After meeting President Donald Trump durning the United Nations General Assembly, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy asked the US to sell Tomahawks to European nations that would send them to Ukraine.

Vance said on Fox News Sunday that Trump would make the "final determination" on whether to allow the deal.

"We're certainly looking at a number of requests from the Europeans," Vance added.

Tomahawk missiles have a range of 2,500 km (1,550 miles).

In the past, Trump has denied Ukraine's requests for use of long-range missiles but the US leader has grown increasingly frustrated at Russian President Vladimir Putin's refusal to reach a peace deal.

Vance posited during the interview Russia has made little in the way of territorial gains recently.

"We've been actively pursuing peace from the very beginning of the administration, but the Russians have got to wake up and accept reality here. A lot of people are dying. They don't have a lot to show for it," he said.

Officials say Ukraine fended off a nightlong assault of hundreds of drones and missiles that killed at least four people in Kyiv, including a 12-year-old girl.

Russia launched one of its most sustained attacks on Ukraine’s capital since the war began, firing 48 missiles and nearly 600 drones overnight, Ukrainian officials said.

Kyiv’s military reported shooting down 43 missiles and 568 drones. However, at least four people were killed and dozens injured in the attack, which lasted more than 12 hours. Factories, residential buildings and a cardiology clinic were all damaged during the assault.

"Moscow wants to continue fighting and killing and deserves only the harshest pressure from the world," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said after the strikes. 

"The Kremlin benefits from continuing this war and terror as long as there are profits from energy sales," he added, urging stronger measures against Russia from Kyiv's allies. 

Neighboring Poland briefly closed parts of its airspace and scrambled fighter jets until the threat passed.

Ukrainian authorities said more than 40 people were wounded across the Zaporizhzhia, Odesa, Sumy, Cherkasy and Mykolaiv regions.

Ukraine has sharply improved its ability to hit military targets inside Russia, German Major General Maik Keller told the dpa news agency, citing gains in personnel, equipment and training.

"The Ukrainians are getting better at reaching militarily relevant targets in Russia's depth. This is a question of capability, and capability means personnel, material and training," said Keller, deputy commander of the NATO Security Assistance and Training for Ukraine (NSATU) mission based in Wiesbaden, Germany.

NSATU coordinates support from 30 nations, including partners Australia, New Zealand and Ukraine itself, to meet Kyiv's needs for weapons, ammunition, spare parts and equipment while aligning its forces with NATO standards. Keller noted that the learning is mutual, with Ukraine’s advances in drone warfare — covering combat, logistics and medical evacuation — setting an example.

"Our core mission is to coordinate support for Ukraine," he said. "But we would be foolish not to use this knowledge to improve ourselves and spare our own soldiers from repeating Ukraine's hard lessons."

His comments came as Berlin pledged €300 million ($351 million) to help Ukraine produce thousands of long-range drones, following a wave of Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil refineries and other critical infrastructure.

Moldovans are casting ballots in a tense parliamentary election that has beenovershadowed by reports of Russian interference.

The vote is widely seen as a choice between closer integration with the European Union or a return to Russian influence for the former Soviet republic.

You can follow the latest developments on the Sunday vote in our dedicated Moldova blog.

Welcome back to DW's coverage of what's happening in and around Russia's war in Ukraine.

You join us after Ukrainian officials say an overnight Russian barrage on Kyiv killed at least four people, including a 12-year-old girl.

Meanwhile, Ukraine's neighbor, Moldova, is headed for the polls amid allegations of massive interference by Russia.

Stay with us for more news about the war and other related issues.

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NATO has announced a upgrade to its mission in the Baltic Sea following a series of drone-related incidents in Denmark.

Over the past week, mysterious drones not only appeared over Copenhagen airport, but were also spotted near five other airports and Danish military installations.

The alliance said that the increased presence in the region would include  "intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance platforms and at least one
air-defence frigate."

Moscow has denied involvement in the incidents, which also include drones spotted above the airport in Oslo, Norway.

NATO has also sworn to use "all necessary military and non-military tools" to defend itself after Russian fighter jets were spotted over Estonian airspace for 12 minutes.

The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) lifted all sanctions on Russia and Belarus at the summit in Seoul, South Korea on Saturday.

The ban on Russian and Belarusian athletes had been in place since the Russian invasion of Ukrain began in 2022.

Ukraine's Sports Minister, Matviy Bidnyi, denounced the decision, claiming that those who voted for it had betrayed "their conscience and the Olympic values."

Read more about how Paralympic body lifted sanctions on Russia and Belarus

A Ukrainian security official told Reuters new agency that long-range drones had struck a key oil pumping station in Russia's Chuvashia region.

The drones had caused a fire and resulted in the station suspending operations, the official said.

Russia's oil sector has long been considered key to its war machine, as many nations around the world, including some EU members, keep financing Moscow by purchasing cheap Russian oil and gas.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced on Saturday that his military had received a US-made Patriot anti-aircraft system from Israel, and that it had already been in operation for a month.

He also said that Kyiv would be getting two more Patriot launchers this autumn, but did not specify where they were coming from.

The move was seen as somewhat of a surprise. Ukraine has voted in favor of UN resolutions calling for an end to Israeli occupation of some of the Palestinian territories.

While the Israeli government under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sent some humanitarian aid to Ukraine early in the conflict, Netanyahu has refused to follow suit on Western sanctions against Russia.

Moreover, it sided with Russia against Ukraine on a UN resolution reaffirming Ukraine's territorial integrity.

More recently however, Netanyahu's government has distanced itself from Moscow as Russia pursues closer ties with Iran. 

On Saturday, Kyiv made the surprise announcement that it had recieved a US-made air defense system from Israel.

In a separate unexpected turn, the Paralympic games announced they would welcome back Russian and Belorussian competitors.

Follow here for the latest updates on Russia's war of aggression in Ukraine.