Ukraine-Russia war – live: Zelensky accuses Putin of ‘criminal and unprovoked aggression’ violating UN charter

Ukraine ‘s president Volodymyr Zelensky has accused Russia of committing ‘criminal and unprovoked aggression’ as he came face-to-face with Vladimir Putin ‘s officials for the first time since his country was invaded. The aggression violated both the norms of war and the UN Charter itself, he told a special meeting of the UN’s security council. All eyes were on possible interactions between Mr Zelensky and foreign minister Sergei Lavrov, but Mr Lavrov was not in Russia’s seat as Mr Zelensky spoke. Earlier, Ukrainian forces struck a Russian Black Sea fleet command post near Sevastopol in Crimea , the Ukrainian military said. The Moscow -installed governor of the city – a resort where Vladimir Putin spends his summer holidays – said a missile attack had been prevented. Some reports described it as a ‘kamikaze drone’ hit and that Russia had downed several drones in the area. Russia seized and annexed Crimea in 2014. Separately, footage of an inferno near the Adler International Airport in Sochi circulated on Telegram. ‘There were no casualties,’ the mayor of Sochi, Alexei Kopaigorodskyi, said on the Telegram platform. Key Points At UN General Assembly, Biden asks world to stand by Ukraine Moscow court declines to consider appeal by US reporter Gershkovich against pre-trial detention Russia violating UN Charter, Zelensky tells security council UN incapable of defending national borders, says Zelensky 19:46 , Jane Dalton Ukraine’s President Zelensky has repeated his call for reform of the UN’s general assembly and security council to end the war. ‘574 days of pain, losses, and struggle have already passed since the start of the full-scale aggression launched by the state, which, for some reason, is still present here among the permanent UNSC members,’ he wrote on social media. In a long thread he wrote: ‘All in the world see what makes the UN incapable. This seat in the Security Council, which Russia occupied illegally, through backstage manipulations following the collapse of the USSR, has been taken by liars whose job is to whitewash Russia’s ongoing aggression and genocide… ‘Veto power in the hands of the aggressor is what has pushed the UN into a dead end… ‘Humankind no longer pins its hopes on the UN when it comes to the defence of the sovereign borders of nations.’ His proposals included expanding membership of the security council to include Germany and the African Union, among others. He said the epicentre of efforts to protect territorial integrity and sovereignty and human rights, as well as preventing aggression and genocide should be in UN’s general assembly and security council. ‘If reform of UN institutions is necessary for this, then we should not be afraid of it. We are ready to work together with UN members who joined the Peace Formula on draft resolutions and amendments to the UN Charter.’ The council has met dozens of times since Russia invaded Ukraine, but it has been unable to take any action because Moscow holds a veto. 574 days of pain, losses, and struggle have already passed since the start of the full-scale aggression launched by the state, which, for some reason, is still present here among the permanent UNSC members. pic.twitter.com/K5ucPhmlWS – Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) September 20, 2023 Firstly, the UN General Assembly should be given real power to overcome the veto. In the event of 2/3 of the votes reflecting the will of nations from Asia, Africa, Europe, both Americas, and the Pacific, a UNSC veto should be effectively overcome by such binding UNGA resolution. – Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) September 20, 2023 Four die in Russian shelling 21:12 , Jane Dalton Russian forces have shelled the city of Toretsk in eastern Ukraine, killing four people, the Ukrainian General Prosecutor’s Office said. The office, in a report on the Telegram messaging app, said that two people had died inside the city and two more in the adjacent town of Pivnichne. The tense encounter that almost happened – but didn’t 18:57 , Jane Dalton Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov avoided staring each other out across the UN Security Council’s famous horseshoe-shaped table: Russian ambassador objects to Zelensky speaking 18:46 , Jane Dalton Before Ukraine’s President Zelensky took the floor to speak to the security council’s 15 members, Russian ambassador Vassily Nebenzia objected. Albanian prime minister Edi Rama, serving as president of the tense session, responded with a gibe at Moscow, which has long said the invasion does not amount to a war but was a ‘special military operation’. ‘I want to assure our Russian colleagues and everyone here that this is not a special operation by the Albanian presidency,’ Mr Rama said to muted laughter across the room. ‘There is a solution for this,’ he continued. ‘If you agree, you stop the war and President Zelensky will not take the floor.’ Mr Nebenzia said the session was a show. Lavrov runs over by at least 20 minutes 18:29 , Jane Dalton The speech of Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov lasted for more than 24 minutes. Security Council delegates had been asked to limit speeches to four minutes. Nazis can skip queue to join EU, Lavrov claims 18:25 , Jane Dalton Nazis could ‘skip the queue’ to join the EU, Sergei Lavrov claimed – in contrast with countries such as Turkey, where talks had dragged on. Mr Lavrov’s rambling speech to the security council has already lasted much longer than those of other delegates and is continuing with regular swipes at Western ‘aggression’ and ‘hypocrisy’. Russian minister accuses West of fomenting global tensions 18:16 , Jane Dalton Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov accused the West after the cold war of ignoring the legacy of the founding fathers of the UN, fomenting ‘new global tensions’. He accused the US and allies of meddling in Ukraine’s politics since fall of the Soviet Union to force pro-western policies in Kyiv, which did not represent the views of the people of Donbass (the Russian-occupied area of Ukraine), Mr Lavrov said. And he accused the West of trying to suppress Russian culture, including people using their native language. Volodymyr Zelensky left the security council meeting after his speech, avoiding a clash with Mr Lavrov and his team. Russia committing war crimes daily, says Blinken 18:02 , Jane Dalton US Secretary of State Antony Blinken cited heinous examples of homes being targeted and children being removed form their homes, saying Russia was committing war crimes daily. He listed examples of acts of destruction he said Russia was carrying out, including targeting grain supplies, using Iranian drones. ‘It’s hard to imagine a country demonstrating more contempt of the UN,’ Mr Blinken said. But Ukrainians were not giving up, he said. He pledged the US would continue to do more than its share of supporting the war effort and send a clear message to aggressors. UK gives £3m to food programme as Russia ‘targets hungry’ 17:54 , Jane Dalton The UK is giving another £3m to the UN Food Programme following disruptions to grain supplies, the UK’s deputy prime minister told the security council. Oliver Dowden said the ‘hungry and malnourished people of the developing world’ were also victims of Russia’s ‘war of choice’. Russia was impervious to UN demands and conducted sham elections in Ukraine’s sovereign territory, he said, as he highlighted the need for ‘effective multilateralism’ to secure peace, restore grain flows and help Ukraine in its recovery’. Poland angered by Zelensky grain remarks 17:31 , Jane Dalton Poland summoned Kyiv’s envoy to the foreign ministry, after comments by Ukraine’s president on a ban on grain imports angered the government in Warsaw, which is toughening its stance ahead of October elections. Poland has been one of Ukraine’s staunchest allies, but the countries are now embroiled in a deepening conflict over agricultural imports since Poland, along with Hungary and Slovakia, extended a ban on grain imports from their war-torn neighbour. President Volodymyr Zelensky told the United Nations General Assembly Kyiv was working to preserve the land routes for grain exports, but he added that the ‘political theatre’ around grain imports was only helping Moscow, which invaded Ukraine last year. ‘(Deputy Foreign Minister Pawel Jablonski) conveyed the Polish side’s strong protest against the statements made by President V. Zelensky at the UN General Assembly yesterday, alleging that some EU countries feigned solidarity while indirectly supporting Russia,’ the foreign ministry said in a statement. UN must remove Russia’s veto, says Zelensky 17:21 , Jane Dalton Volodymyr Zelensky called for the UN General Assembly to remove Russia’s veto power on the security council. Ukraine is exercising its right to self-defence, the Ukrainian president told the meeting. And he said support for Ukraine amounted to backing for the aims of the UN Charter. He called on nations to support Kyiv’s 10-point peace plan – which the Kremlin has previously rejected. Russia appears isolated in UN meeting 16:57 , Jane Dalton All eyes were on the Russian delegation as Ukraine’s Mr Zelensky came face-to-face with their officials for the first time since his country was invaded. But Russia appeared isolated in the security council chamber, according to Washington Post reporter Michael Birnbaum. ‘Ambassador Vasily Nebenzya is sitting alone at the table with other members of the Russian delegation behind him. No merriment and small talk for the Russians,’ he reported. Zelensky calls for reform of council to reach peace 16:48 , Jane Dalton President Zelensky called for reform of the security council. ‘Our aspiration for peace should drive the reform,’ he told the special gathering of international delegates. Russia violating UN Charter, Zelensky tells security council 16:43 , Jane Dalton Volodymyr Zelensky has started addressing the special United Nations Security Council session, saying Ukrainian soldiers were doing what the UN security council should be doing by vote. He accused Russia of ‘criminal and unprovoked aggression’ that violated the UN Charter. US to give Kyiv fresh aid as Zelensky plans Washington trip 16:30 , Jane Dalton US president Joe Biden plans to announce a significant military aid package for Ukraine on Thursday to coincide with a visit to Washington by president Volodymyr Zelensky, a US official has said, on condition of anonymity. Watch live – Live: World leaders gather for UN General Assembly 14:22 , Lydia Patrick There is speculation of a Zelensky and Lavrov face-to-face showdown. Cargo ship crew evacuated after explosion near Romanian Danube port 14:12 , Lydia Patrick The crew of a Togo-flagged general cargo ship bound for one of Ukraine’s Danube river ports were evacuated early on Wednesday after an explosion on board near the Romanian port of Sulina, Romanian officials said. The Seama ship reported an explosion early on Wednesday and requested the evacuation of the 12-person crew near Sulina, where the Danube flows into the Black Sea. ‘At the moment the causes … are unclear, whether it was a mine or merely an explosion in the engine room,’ Romanian Transport Minister Sorin Grindeanu told reporters. A former explosion on Romania Danube Ports (Provided) ICYMI: Sochi fuel depot goes up in flames in suspected first drone strike on Putin’s summer resort town 13:36 , Lydia Patrick A suspected ‘ kamikaze drone’ attack targeted resort city Sochi where Vladimir Putin spends his summer holidays and led to a massive fuel tank going up in flames, said officials. This is the first suspected drone strike made on the Russian president’s resort city during the course of his full-scale invasion of Ukraine . Mr Putin has also hosted the 2014 Olympic games in the city. Sochi fuel depot up in flames in first drone strike on Putin’s summer resort town Zelensky and Lavov face-to-face showdown expected to at United Nations Security Council 13:00 , Lydia Patrick Volodymyr Zelensky faces an in-person showdown with Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov at a meeting of the UN Security Council today, after warning Russia’s evil ‘cannot be trusted’. Mr Zelensky is due to speak today at a UN Security Council meeting about Ukraine. Russia is a permanent, veto-wielding member of the council, and Mr Lavrov is expected to make remarks. Asked whether he would stay in the room to listen, Mr Zelensky said, ‘I don’t know how it will be, really.’ Yesterday, the Ukrainian leader delivered a powerful speech to fellow UN leaders and urged for the world to unite against Putin. He warned of Russia using tactics that he claimed to be more catastrophic than those of nuclear destruction. He said:’But truly not the nukes are the scariest now.’While nukes remain in place, the mass destruction is gaining its momentum.’ The last time Zelensky and Lavrov faced each other at the UN Security Council in September 2022 was an explosive encounter. Lavrov called Zelensky a ‘b******’ and stormed out of the room. UN General Assembly (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.) Putin formally accepts invitation to visit China in October 12:30 , Lydia Patrick Putin is set to visit China this October on his first trip abroad since the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant against him. The Kremlin denies the allegation that he deported children from Ukraine. (POOL/AFP via Getty Images) Putin’s Black Sea holiday resort rocked by drone strike 11:43 , Lydia Patrick A ‘kamikaze drone attack’ struck Putin’s black sea holiday resort this morning, reports claim. Telegram footage shows fire near the Adler International Aiport in Sochi. Plumes of black clouds can be seen in the video footage as the strike hit a tank containing ‘1,200 tons of diesel’ The Metro reported. A previous blast in the Black Sea (via REUTERS) Ukrainian soldiers say Western arms would speed up counteroffensive 11:20 , Lydia Patrick Ukrainian troops on the eastern front say they need more arms to accelerate their successful Bakhmut counteroffensive against Russia, report Reuters. Kyiv says it has recaptured two villages south of Bakhmut which will help its forces advance on the shattered city, which has been occupied by Russian forces since May. But troops taking cover in a bunker near Bakhmut this week said they were still heavily reliant on Soviet-era Grad multiple rocket launchers, and dream of receiving the more sophisticated U.S.-made HIMARS rocket launchers. ‘Things would be brighter, a lot more interesting if we had HIMARS,’ one soldier, who gave his name only as Denys, said as explosions echoed nearby. ‘Or at the very least one of those made Czech-made Vampires (rocket launchers),’ he said to Reuters. Russia suffer significant losses in Western Zaporizhzhia, s