Mark Rutte visits Ukraine in first trip as NATO chief

The new head of NATO vowed when he took office Tuesday to help shore up Western support for Ukraine, which has been fighting Russia's full-scale invasion since February 2022 and has recently been on the defensive due to a relentless Russian army push in eastern regions.

Rutte expressed confidence that he can work with whomever is elected president of the United States, the alliance's most powerful member, in November.

That could be a key moment for Ukraine's effort to ensure continuing Western support.

Mark Rutte's first visit as NATO Secretary General — Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) @SecGenNATO is to Ukraine, and this is truly significant. It immediately and clearly outlines the priorities, highlighting where the shared values of the entire Euro-Atlantic region are being defended right now. It also… pic.twitter.com/cknjtn7SsYOctober 3, 2024

Zelenskiy said he discussed with Rutte elements of Ukraine's so-called victory plan, before a NATO meeting at the Ramstein air base in Germany next week.

The two also discussed the battlefield situation and the specific needs of Ukrainian military units.

Zelenskiy reiterated that Ukraine needed more weapons, including long-range weapons.

Rutte reiterated the alliance's unwavering support for Ukraine, saying "Ukraine is closer to NATO than ever before".

When asked about the prospects for NATO membership for Ukraine, Rutte said recent steps taken by NATO together "build a bridge to NATO membership," including 40 billion euros ($A65 billion) of funding assistance, bilateral security agreements between allies, and the formation of a new NATO command to coordinate assistance and training.

Rutte arrived after a Russian glide bomb struck a five-storey apartment block in Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city, injuring at least 12 people including a three-year-old girl, local officials said.

The bomb hit between the third and fourth floors of the building on Wednesday night, igniting blazes, Kharkiv regional Governor Oleh Syniehubov said.

Firefighters searched for survivors through smoke and rubble.

The city of Kharkiv, located around 30km from the Russian border, has been a frequent target of aerial attacks throughout the war against Russia that is now deep into its third year.

Glide bombs have become an increasingly common weapon in the war.

A Russian glide bomb struck an apartment block in Kharkiv, injuring at least 12 people. (AP PHOTO)

They have terrorised civilians and bludgeoned the Ukrainian army's frontline defences.

They were a key weapon in Russia's capture of the tactically significant town of Vuhledar on Wednesday, as Russian forces wreak destruction on the eastern Donetsk region and force weary Ukrainian troops to withdraw from obliterated towns and villages.

Ukraine has no effective countermeasure for glide bombs, which are launched from Russian aircraft inside Russia.

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the latest Kharkiv attack highlighted the urgent need for increased support from Ukraine's Western allies.

Zelensky recently held talks with officials in the United States in an effort to ensure further Western military support.

Russia has had the battlefield initiative since late 2023, when a Ukrainian counteroffensive petered out.

Ukraine is grappling with a critical manpower problem on the front line and is straining to hold back Russia's grinding assaults.

Though Russia's battlefield gains have been incremental, its steady forward movement is adding up as the Ukrainians are pushed backward and yield ground.

Ukraine's air force said on Thursday that 78 out of 105 Shahed drones launched by Russia overnight were destroyed on Thursday as 15 regions of the country came under attack.

The Russian military, meanwhile, intercepted 113 Ukrainian drones overnight, according to a statement by the defence ministry in Moscow.

The drones were destroyed over four Russian regions on the border with Ukraine - Belgorod, Bryansk, Kursk and Voronezh, it said.