Blinken meets Zelensky as new US military aid reaches Ukraine

NEW US-supplied weapons are already arriving in Ukraine, America's top diplomat Antony Blinken said today as Russian forces gained ground in a surprise offensive in the north east of the country.

- Nicholas Cecil

The US Secretary of State visited Kyiv in a show of support for Ukraine as it troops were engaged in street fighting against Russian units in the town of Vovchansk in the Kharkiv region.

After Congress recently passed a £48 billion military aid package for Ukraine, overcoming opposition from pro-Trump Republicans, Mr Blinken said today: "We know that in the near term the assistance is now on the way, some of it has already arrived and more of it will be arriving. That's going to make a real difference against the ongoing Russian aggression on the battlefield." New equipment already supplied was said to include artillery, missile interceptors, and long-range precision missiles capable of striking targets more than 200 miles away.