Latest news on the Ukraine-Russia war: Putin’s forces launch a major drone strike as they capture the key mountain town of Vuhledar

NATO chief Mark Rutte told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on his first visit to Kiev since being appointed secretary general of the alliance: “Your security is important to us.”

Rutte also reiterated NATO’s commitment that Ukraine would one day be a NATO member, but Zelensky said he urgently wanted Western allies to provide the kind of active military support that some of them gave to Israel in the fight against Iran have.

“Your security is important to us, and your fight for freedom reflects our core principles and values,” Rutte said at a joint news conference, stressing that his first foreign trip as NATO chief showed the alliance’s unwavering support for Kiev.

“Ukraine is closer to NATO than ever before and will continue on this path until it secures NATO membership,” said Rutte, a former Dutch prime minister who only took office on Tuesday.

Ukraine still needs “significant” support from Western allies despite increasing its domestic production of weapons and military equipment, according to a think tank.

The Institute for War Research said Ukraine’s efforts to increase domestic arms production would allow it to reduce its dependence on Western military aid in the long term, but that Kiev would still need “significant” help from allies in the next few years to defend against Russia.

Russia announced yesterday that it would increase its defense spending by 25 percent to its highest level ever, reaching 13.5 trillion rubles (£109 billion) in 2025.

The Ukrainian military said it used ATACMS ballistic missiles to attack a Russian radar station in an attempt to reduce Moscow’s ability to “detect, track and intercept aerodynamic and ballistic targets.”

The military did not disclose the time of the attack or the location of the “Nebo-M” radar station in its statement on the messaging app Telegram.

“The destruction of the Nebo-M radar will create a favorable ‘air corridor’ for the effective use of the Storm Shadow and SCALP-EG cruise missiles,” it said.

The Ukrainian military said it believed Russia still had 10 such operational systems, each with an estimated value of more than $100 million.

The United States sent long-range ATACMS missiles to Ukraine this spring, and White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said Ukraine committed at the time to using the weapons only within its own territory. Currently, Russian forces occupy about 18% of Ukraine’s territory.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has been pleading with his allies for months to let Ukraine fire Western missiles, including long-range U.S. ATACMS missiles and Britain’s Storm Shadow, deep into Russia.

A Russian glide bomb hit a five-story residential building in Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, injuring at least 12 people, including a 3-year-old girl, according to local officials. The bomb fell between the third and fourth floors of the building on Wednesday evening and ignited fires, said the governor of the Kharkiv region, Oleh Syniehubov. Firefighters searched through smoke and debris for survivors.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the recent attack in Kharkiv highlighted the urgent need for increased support from Ukraine’s Western allies.