Russia-Ukraine updates: Putin says war was ‘unleashed’ on Russia
The Russian president delivered his annual Victory Day speech.
More than a year after Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion of neighboring Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, the countries are fighting for control of areas in eastern and southern Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's forces are readying a spring counteroffensive, but Putin appears to be preparing for a long and bloody war.
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Latest headlines:
At least 21 killed in Kherson region shelling: Ukrainian officials
At least 21 people were killed and 48 injured by shelling in the Kherson region on Wednesday, Ukrainian officials said, as the death toll continues to rise.
A railway station and market in the city of Kherson were hit in strikes, which occurred across the Kherson region in southern Ukraine, officials said.
"A railway station and a crossing, a house, a hardware store, a grocery supermarket, a gas station -- do you know what unites these places? The bloody trail that [Russia] leaves with its shells, killing civilians in Kherson and Kherson region," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Twitter.
All the victims were civilians, Zelenskyy said.
An ambulance was also damaged in the strikes, according to Ukrainian Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin.
"No military objects here. Just civilians, including children," Kostin said on Twitter.
At least one person was killed and three injured in the strike on the railway station, officials previously said.
White House announces $300M military aid package for Ukraine
The Biden administration has announced a new $300 million military aid package for Ukraine.
The package includes additional ammunition for U.S.-provided High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, as well as "additional howitzers, artillery and mortar rounds, and anti-armor capabilities that Ukraine is using to push back against Russia’s unprovoked war of aggression," the Department of Defense said in a statement.
This marks the Biden administration’s 37th drawdown of equipment from Defense Department inventories for Ukraine since August 2021.
Zelenskyy denies involvement in Kremlin attack
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy rejected Russia's claim that his country was involved in the drone attack on the Kremlin early Wednesday.
Zelenskyy, who is currently in Finland, said the claim was the prelude to a "large-scale terrorist attack" from Russia.
"First of all, Ukraine wages an exclusively defensive war and does not attack targets on the territory of the Russian Federation," Zelenskyy said in a statement. "What for? This does not solve any military issue. But it gives RF grounds to justify its attacks on civilians."
Zelenskyy went on to say that various attacks in Russia could be the result of "guerrilla activities of local resistance forces."
Russia says Ukraine tried to kill Putin in Kremlin with 2 drones
Russian President Vladimir Putin's spokesman has accused Ukraine of trying to strike Putin's residence in the Kremlin with two drones overnight, but said they were brought down before they could reach their target.
No injuries were reported, Kremlin officials said. Putin was not at the residence at the time, they said.
Videos released on official social media channels appeared to show a drone strike the roof of the Senate Palace at the Kremlin.
The Kremlin said that "the Russian side reserves the right to retaliate whenever and wherever it deems necessary."
-ABC News' Patrick Reevell and Tanya Stukalova
Air raid sirens go off across Ukraine, air defense activated in Kyiv
Air raid sirens went off across Ukraine around 5 a.m. local time Tuesday.
Air defense systems were activated in the Kyiv region.
The Russian airstrike on Kyiv was the "fifth air attack" on the capital since the beginning of May, the Kyiv City Military Administration said on Telegram.
About 15 Russian missiles were launched at Kyiv and intercepted by the Ukrainian air defenses around Kyiv with "no casualties and major damage," the city military administration added.-ABC News' Yulia Drozd and Yuriy Zaliznyak