Almost a year after Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion of neighboring Ukraine, the two countries are engaged in a struggle for control of areas throughout the east and south.
Putin's forces pulled out of key positions in November, retreating from Kherson as Ukrainian troops led a counteroffensive targeting the southern port city. Russian drones have continued bombarding civilian targets throughout Ukraine, knocking out critical power infrastructure as wintersets in.
Here's how the news is developing. All times Eastern.
Sep 08, 2022, 6:59 AM EDT
Blinken makes unannounced visit to Ukraine, unveils $2 billion in new US military aid
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Kyiv on Thursday for an unannounced visit to war-torn Ukraine.
His visit came on the heels of U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin's announcement of a $675-million package of heavy weaponry, ammunition and armored vehicles for Ukraine amid Russia's ongoing invasion. In addition, Blinken announced Thursday that the Biden administration would provide a further $2 billion in long-term foreign military financing to Ukraine and 18 of its neighbors, including NATO members and regional security partners "most potentially at risk for future Russian aggression."
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, third right, arrives to visit a children's hospital in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Sept. 8, 2022, during his trip to the war-torn country.
Emilio Morenatti/AP
Sep 08, 2022, 5:25 AM EDT
US announces $675 million more in assistance to Ukraine
The United States will send another $675 million in assistance to Ukraine amid Russia's war, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin announced Thursday.
"Yesterday, President Biden approved the latest tranche of U.S. assistance to Ukraine, valued at up to $675 million, and this is the Biden administration's 20th drawdown of equipment from U.S. stocks for Ukraine since last August," Austin told reporters at the U.S. military's Ramstein Air Base in Germany, where he attended a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group.
"The latest package includes more GMLRS, 105 millimeter howitzers, artillery ammunition and HARMs, Humvees, armored ambulances, anti-tank systems, small arms and more," he added.
From right, Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov, U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, U.S. Gen. Mark Milley and German Defense Minister Christine Lamprecht attend a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group at the U.S. military's Ramstein Air Base in Ramstein-Miesenbach, Germany, on Sept. 8, 2022. The Ukraine Defense Contact Group is a U.S.-led effort to bring together defense leaders from dozens of countries across the globe in order to facilitate military support for Ukraine in its ongoing efforts in fighting Russia's military invasion.
Thomas Niedermueller/Getty Images
The Ukraine Defence Contact Group is a U.S.-led effort to bring together defense leaders from dozens of countries around the world in order to facilitate military support for Ukraine in its ongoing efforts to fight the Russian invasion. Austin said Thursday that the group was meeting to "renew our commitment and intensify our momentum to support the brave defenders of Ukraine for the long term."
"Today, four months after our initial Contact Group meeting, the war is at another key moment. Russian forces continue to cruelly bombard Ukrainian cities and civilians with missiles and artillery fire," he said. "But Ukrainian forces have begun their counteroffensive in the south of their country."
"This Contact Group needs to position itself to sustain Ukraine's brave defenders for the long haul," he added. "And that means a continued and determined flow of capability now."
Sep 07, 2022, 7:27 PM EDT
Shelling damages Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant's backup power line
Shelling on Tuesday damaged a backup power line at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine, the United Nation's nuclear watchdog said Wednesday.
The International Atomic Energy Agency said there was no immediate impact from the damage because the Russian-held plant was already disconnected from the grid.
The plant previously lost all four of its regular power lines during the conflict, according to the IAEA.
The damaged power line is one of three backup lines between the plant and a nearby thermal power station. The other two are disconnected, the IAEA said.
In recent days, the plant has relied on its sole operating reactor for power, according to the IAEA, which stressed that a "secure off-site power supply from the grid and backup power supply systems are essential for ensuring nuclear safety and preventing a nuclear accident."
-ABC News' Jason Volack
Sep 07, 2022, 6:18 PM EDT
Zelenskyy claims settlements recaptured in Kharkiv region
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy claimed during his nightly address Wednesday that several settlements have been recaptured from Russia in the Kharkiv region, though did not provide further details.
"There is good news from the Kharkiv region. However, now is not the time to name the liberated settlements," he said.
