Ukraine live: Russian strike on apartment building in Ukraine’s Sumy kills at least two

US State Dept approves $2.7 billion sale to Ukraine for air-defense development upgrades

The ​US ​State Department approved a ​near $2.7 ‌billion ⁠military ‌sale ⁠to Ukraine for air ​defense-development ‌upgrades and ‌related ​equipment and services, the department ​said ​late on ​Friday.

Russian holds parliamentary vote in areas it seized from Ukraine in the war

Putin stressed the importance of voting in the regions.

Russia’s parliamentary election for the first time includes residents of regions that Moscow illegally annexed from Ukraine after the start of its full-scale invasion more than 4 1/2 years ago, part of Kremlin efforts to cement its gains.

Officials in Kyiv vigorously denounced the action as illegal, and a human rights activist described residents there as being coerced to participate in the election. 

Russian glide bomb hits apartment in Ukraine’s Sumy, killing at least two and injuring seven

⁠A ⁠Russian glide ​bomb hit ​an apartment building in the northern Ukrainian city of ​Sumy ‌on Friday, ⁠killing two people and ‌injuring seven, three of ⁠them in serious condition, Regional Governor Oleh ​Hryhorov said.

President ‌Volodymyr Zelensky denounced the «absolutely inhuman strike» on the ‌apartment block and ​said residents could still be under rubble. He said ​Russian forces had ​also hit ​a clinic in the central city ​of Pavlohrad and a logistics centre outside Kyiv, but provided ⁠no details on casualties.