Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, will address US military officers as part of a last-minute push to convince congress to provide more money for weapons before funding runs out. On Tuesday, he is expected to go to Capitol Hill and to meet with Joe Biden at the White House, writes The Guardian.

Russia will hold its presidential election in four annexed regions of Ukraine, Interfax news agency quoted the country’s central election commission as saying.

Russian forces have unleashed a major offensive on Avdiivka, with 610 artillery shellings reported near the eastern Ukrainian town over the past day, according to the Ukrainian military.

Britain has said it delivered two mine-hunting ships to Ukraine. The mine hunters, originally HMS Grimsby and HMS Shoreham, were renamed Chernihiv and Cherkasy in Glasgow in June, and will help Ukraine to maintain a critical route for merchant shipping travelling across the Black Sea.

Officials have said Russia attacked Kyiv with eight long-range ballistic missiles before dawn on Monday. The strike – at about 4am – marked the first major attack on the Ukrainian capital in recent months using ballistic missiles.

Britain said it had delivered two mine-hunting ships to Ukraine. The mine hunters, originally HMS Grimsby and HMS Shoreham, were renamed Chernihiv and Cherkasy in Glasgow in June, and will help Ukraine to maintain a critical route for merchant shipping travelling across the Black Sea.