Ukraine updates: NATO's Stoltenberg acknowledges aid delays

Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, has become the first member of the British Royal Family to visit Ukraine since the start of the Russian invasion more than two years ago.

Sophie, the wife of King Charles' youngest brother Prince Edward, met with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his wife Zelenska on Monday and delivered a message to them on behalf of King Charles III.

The Duchess made the surprise visit on behalf of Britain's Foreign Office to show solidarity with those impacted by the war and as part of her work to champion survivors of conflict-related sexual violence, the Buckingham Palace said in a statement.

Sophie met with survivors of conflict-related sexual violence, survivors of torture and children who had been returned to Ukraine after being separated from their families and taken to Russia, the British Foreign Office said. 

She also met female volunteers who have helped communities deal with the impact  of attacks with mental healthcare activities for children.

"I've been learning more about the situation in all its realities. Which, of course, is sad," Sophie said in a speech during a reception at the British envoy's residence. 

"It's true that women and girls pay the highest price in terms of human cost when it comes to the way that they are affected, the way that they can be used as weapons of war," she said. 

During the visit, Sophie paid her respects to those who died Bucha, where Russian forces are accused of committing war crimes including executions and rapes before the town's liberation two years ago.

She also visited the "Road to Life," a bridge which became a crucial part of Ukraine's resistance when it was blown up to stop Russian forces proceeding to Kyiv, and later became a vital passage for people to flee from the Russian occupation. 

A Russian missile strike killed two people on Monday in the Black Sea port city of Odesa, according to the regional governor.

"Unfortunately, the Russian missile attack left two dead. Eight more people, including a 12-year-old boy, were wounded with varying degrees of seriousness," Governor Oleg Kiper said on Telegram.

Pictures posted online showed smoke billowing from an ornate building close to the seafront that was described as an academy.

The large Black Sea port city, which is crucial for Ukraine's exports, has repeatedly been the target of Russian attacks.

In March, at least 20 people were killed in the city following a missile strike.

Polish farmers have suspended their protest at the border crossing with Ukraine, effectively ending a monthslong blockade which had angered Kyiv.

Polish truckers, later joined by farmers, had blocked border crossings with Ukraine, protesting Ukraine's cheap grain and saying it created unfair competition. Protesters also were angry at what they said was government inaction over business losses to foreign competitors.

"Fortunately, we have all directions on the border with Poland unblocked," said Andriy Demchenko, the border official, adding that trucks were crossing in both directions.

Last week, Warsaw announced fresh aid to the Polish farmers struggling to sell their produce.

Kyiv welcomed on Monday the end of the blockade. Ukraine's agriculture minister, Mykola Solsky, thanked the Polish government for "constructive work on unblocking the border."

"The main thing is that we have a result," Solsky said, adding that the talks between the ministries and farming associations from two countries "will go on."

Though Poland has been among Ukraine's staunchest supporters since the Russian invasion, the issue of Ukrainian grain has soured ties, with Kyiv struggling to find an outlet for its produce amid the fighting and Warsaw wary of the impact of cheaper produce on its local market.

Russian forces have advanced further in eastern Ukraine's Donetsk region, capturing the village of Semenivka near the Moscow-held town of Avdiivka, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Monday.

Moscow also claimed to have defeated Ukrainian forces in a number of other villages in the area, as well as in Synkivka in the Kharkiv region and at a number of other points along the front line.

Ukraine's general staff meanwhile said its troops had repelled enemy attacks near Semenivka, as well as other Russian attacks.

NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg acknowledged the "serious delays" in the military alliance's aid deliveries to Ukraine, saying they had "serious consequences on the battlefield."

Stoltenberg was in Kyiv on Monday, where he met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as the country prepared to receive crucial US weapons.

"NATO allies have not delivered what they promised," Stoltenberg said. "The lack of ammunition has allowed the Russians to push forward along the front line. Lack of air defense has made it possible for more Russian missiles to hit their targets, and the lack of deep strike capabilities has made it possible for the Russians to concentrate more forces." 

The NATO chief promised the alliance was "working hard to meet Ukraine's urgent needs." He also said it was "not too late" for Kyiv to win the war. 

Zelenskyy urged faster deliveries to bolster the front line.

"The Russian army is now trying to take advantage of the situation when we are expecting supplies from our partner," the Ukrainian president said. "That is why promptness in supply literally means stabilization of the front line." 

Zelenskyy called for "timely support" for the Ukrainian army.

"Today I don't see anything positive on this point yet. There are supplies, they have slightly begun, this process needs to be sped up," he said.

Zelenskyy said that US weapons were starting to trickle into the country, after the US passed a $61 billion (approximately €57 billion) aid package last week after months of congressional deadlock.