Russia attacks Lviv and Kharkiv, Zelensky arrives in New York for UN General Assembly

It’s day 573 of the war in Ukraine. Russia launched drone strikes on Ukraine overnight, setting a warehouse on fire in the city of Lviv.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in New York to attend the 78th United Nations General Assembly.

Three airborne objects were downed over Russia’s Belgorod region, according to local governor.

The Russian online censorship agency Roskomnadzor hopes to ban the publishing of instructions on how to access blocked websites in Russia.

Novaya-Europe’s news round-up will brief you on the main developments overnight.

Russian drone strike causes Lviv warehouse fire, kills one

Russia launched a series of drone strikes on Ukraine overnight, with explosions reported in Lviv and Kharkiv. 

At least one person was killed in the western Ukrainian city of Lviv when an industrial warehouse caught fire, regional governor Maksym Kozytsky said on Tuesday, adding that two survivors had been pulled from the rubble.

Lviv mayor Andriy Sadovy confirmed the city had been attacked by Russian combat drones, while the BBC Ukrainian Service reported that the attack on Lviv had been the longest drone attack since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion.

Explosions were also heard in the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, according to regional governor Oleh Synehubov, who reported no casualties.

The south-eastern Dnipro region underwent shelling overnight. A senior citizen in the city of Nikopol was injured and six residential homes were reportedly damaged. The city of Kryvyi Rih also came under attack.

Zelensky arrives in US to address UN General Assembly

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has arrived in New York for the 78th UN General Assembly. 

After landing, Zelensky paid a visit to a group of Ukrainian soldiers undergoing treatment and rehabilitation in the US. He is later due to attend the UN General Assembly, the Sustainable Development Goals Summit, a Security Council session, and a number of bilateral meetings.

Zelensky is also scheduled to meet US President Joe Biden, as well as Congressional leaders, US military chiefs and businesspeople in Washington DC.

Ukraine would be making a “concrete proposal” to UN member states for strengthening the principle of territorial integrity and to “improve the UN’s capacity to thwart and halt aggression”, Zelensky said. 

A Russian delegation is also due to attend the General Assembly, led by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Zelensky said on Tuesday he was “not sure” whether he would remain at the session during Lavrov’s speech.

Three airborne objects downed over Russia’s Belgorod region

Three airborne objects were downed on approach to the town of Shebekino in Russia’s southern Belgorod region overnight, regional governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said on Tuesday.

The flying objects were shot down by air defence systems in the region, which borders Ukraine. Nobody was injured, though a power line was damaged, Gladkov said.