Volodymyr Zelenskyy has shared an “inspirational” letter sent to him from King Charles on Ukraine’s Independence Day, along with other messages from Donald Trump, Pope Leo and Xi Jinping. Follow the latest.
Sunday 24 August 2025 10:01, UK
Ukrainians have gathered in Kyiv this morning to mark the country’s Independence Day.
Relatives of missing soldiers can be seen holding flags and signs while attending a rally in the capital.
In an address marking Independence Day, Volodymyr Zelenskyy said it’s only a matter of time before Ukraine will be “together again as one family” and “no temporary occupation can change that”.
The acting governor of Russia’s Kursk region says strikes on nuclear power plants “cross all boundaries of international conventions”.
It comes following reports that a Ukrainian drone shot down over the Kursk nuclear power plant sparked a fire and a capacity reduction (see 7.57am post).
“Strikes on nuclear power plants are not just war crimes. They are a threat to nuclear safety, crossing all boundaries of international conventions,” Alexander Khinshtein said.
He added: “All those guilty of these crimes will have to be justly punished.”
Not all the reaction to Ukraine’s 34th Independence Day has been positive.
The Russian embassy in Italy has shared a video on social media captioned: “Ukraine’s Independence Day: there’s nothing to celebrate”.
The video questions whether Ukraine still has its sovereignty as it’s “being sold off to Western countries and multinationals”
It also says Ukraine is not a neutral nation, as it has been “moving toward joining NATO and the European Union”.
The Colosseum is being lit up in the colours of the Ukrainian flag today to mark the country’s Independence Day, Italy’s foreign minister has announced.
Antonio Tajani said the move “demonstrates the closeness of the Italian people and institutions to our Ukrainian friends”.
The facades of the foreign ministry building will also display Ukraine’s colours, he added.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has arrived in Kyiv, where he is expected to meet with Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Posting a message on social media this morning, Carney congratulated Ukraine on its 34th Independence Day, adding that support between Ottawa’s support for Kyiv was “unwavering”.
“We are with you every step of the way to defend your sovereignty and to realise your dreams for your country.”
Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been spending his morning thanking various world leaders for their messages of support on Ukraine’s Independence Day.
Earlier, the Ukrainian president revealed a letter sent to him by King Charles, in which the British monarch said he feels the “greatest and deepest admiration for the unbreakable courage and spirit of the Ukrainian people”.
Zelenskyy has also shared letters from Pope Leo, US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Referencing the ongoing war in his message, Pope Leo says he hopes the “clamour of arms may fall silent and give way to dialogue, opening the path to peace”.
Trump similarly says that “now is the moment to bring an end to the senseless killing,” calling for a “negotiated settlement that leads to a durable, lasting peace that ends the bloodshed and safeguards Ukraine’s sovereignty and dignity”.
In the letter from Xi, a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, there is no mention of the war in Ukraine, which China has remained publicly neutral over since it began.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy has shared a message sent to him from King Charles for Ukraine’s Independence Day.
In the letter, which the Ukrainian president shared on social media, Charles says he feels the “greatest and deepest admiration for the unbreakable courage and spirit of the Ukrainian people”.
He adds: “I remain hopeful that our countries will be able to further work closely together to achieve a just and lasting peace.”
In response, Zelenskyy says the monarch’s “kind words are a true inspiration for our people during the difficult time of war”.
The government has announced that Ukrainian flags will appear above Downing Street and several Whitehall buildings to mark the country’s Independence Day today.
The prime minister’s official residence at No 10 Downing Street is among the buildings where a flag will fly today, along with the Cabinet Office, Treasury, and several other ministerial headquarters.
“We stand in solidarity with the Ukrainian people, including those who have made a second home here in the UK, in the face of continued Russian aggression,” a government spokesperson said.
UK Defence Secretary John Healey has said Britain is “ramping up” its support for Ukraine “on this special day for the freedom and democracy of the Ukrainian people”.
It comes after an announcement from the Ministry of Defence that British military experts will continue to train Ukrainian soldiers until at least the end of 2026.
A fire was sparked and capacity was reduced by 50% at the Kursk nuclear power plant overnight after a Ukrainian drone was shot down over the site, Russian officials said.
There were no injuries and a fire sparked by the attack was promptly extinguished, the plant’s press service said. Radiation levels at the site and in the surrounding area have not exceeded normal limits, it added.
The UN’s nuclear watchdog has repeatedly called on both Russia and Ukraine to show maximum restraint around nuclear facilities in the war.
Ukraine has not commented on the accusation regarding the plant in Kursk, a region where Kyiv’s troops briefly invaded in a surprise military counteroffensive last year.
Elsewhere, the regional governor in Russia’s northern Leningrad region said around 10 Ukrainian drones were downed over the port of Ust-Luga, with debris sparking a fire at a fuel export terminal and processing complex.
Vyacheslav Fedorishchev, governor of the Samara region, said Ukrainian drones also attacked an industrial enterprise in the southern city of Syzran, adding there were no casualties.
Rosaviatsia, Russia’s civil aviation authority, said flights were halted for hours on end at several airports overnight, including at the Pulkovo airport in the Leningrad region, due to the threat of drone attacks.
Good morning and welcome back to our live coverage of the war in Ukraine.
Russia’s defence ministry says its units destroyed almost 100 Ukrainian drones fired into the country across 13 regions last night.
Attacks caused travel disruption at Russian airports and caused a fire and capacity reduction at the Kursk nuclear power plant, officials said.
It comes as Ukraine celebrates its independence day, which marks the country’s declaration of independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy is also hosting Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney in Kyiv today.
We’ll bring you up to date on all of those lines and plenty more here in the blog, so stay tuned.
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