Russian missiles pound Ukraine as Zelenskyy meets Biden, U.S. lawmakers

Russian missiles pounded cities across Ukraine early Thursday morning, according to authorities, sparking fires, killing at least two people and trapping others under rubble.

The reported deaths occurred in the southern city of Kherson, with at least five injured after a strike hit a residential building, said regional Gov.Oleksand Prokudin.

The early-morning missile attack on what's known as the International Day of Peace was Russia's largest in more than a monthand came as Ukrainian PresidentVolodymyr Zelenskyywas on Capitol Hill to meet with U.S. President Joe Biden and congressional leaders.

It was Zelenskyy's second visit to Washington since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, and cameas Biden's request to Congress for an additional $24 billion US for Ukraine's military and humanitarian aid hangs in the balance.

The Bidenadministration announced another $325 million US Thursday in what's known as presidential drawdown assistance for Ukraine. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the package would include additional air defence, artillery ammunition, cluster munitions and other arms.

Firm support from Biden

The Ukrainian leader received a far quieter reception than the hero's welcome he got last year, but he also won generally favourable comments on the aid he says he needs to stave off defeat.

His arrival was treated with more pomp at the White House, where a red carpet arrival on the South Lawn followed by time in the Oval Office, an expanded gathering in the East Room and one-on-one time for the two first ladies was a more grand reception than world leaders typically get.

Biden was firm in his support.

"The American people are determined to see to it that we do all we can to ensure the world stands with you," he assured Zelenskyy, projecting White House support of Ukraine to other nations as well. "That is our overwhelming objective."

The serious tone was evident earlier, too, at the Pentagon, where Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin greeted Zelenskyy without the usual ceremonial band and other fanfare.

Earlierat the Capitol, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, who faces opposition among far-right Republicans aligned with Donald Trump on support for Ukraine, notably chose not to join House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries in greeting the Ukrainian president when he arrived.

McCarthy also confirmedhe declined Zelenskyy's request for a joint session of Congress, whichhappened during the Ukrainian president's dramatic visit to Washington last winter, saying there wasn't time for that on short notice.

But McCarthy praised the answers that were delivered to U.S. lawmakers on Thursday.

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"It was direct, I thought it was honest, they were answering the questions," McCarthy said. "I heard a lot of positive things."

Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and Democratic Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer appeared alongside the Ukrainian president.

Hard-right Republicans increasingly opposed to help for Ukraine

Since the start of the war, most members of Congress have supported approving four rounds of aid to Ukraine, totalling about $113 billion US, viewing defence of the country and its democracy as an imperative, especially when it comes to containing Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Some of that money went toward replenishing U.S. military equipment sent to the front lines.

Biden has called on world leaders to stand strong with Ukraine, even as he faces domestic political divisions at home.

A hard-right flank of Republicans, led by Trump, Biden's chief rival in the 2024 race for the White House, is increasingly opposed to sending more money overseas. Zelenskyy faces challenges in Europe as well, as cracks emerge in what had been a largely united Western alliance behind Ukraine.

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Grain dispute with eastern European countries

Ukraine is also getting pushback from Poland, which until now has been a major supporter with respect to military aid, as well as taking in tens of thousands of Ukrainian refugees who have fled the war.

Poland said it would stop transferring its own weapons to its neighbour as it works to modernize its own military, but it denied the decision was linked to a simmering dispute over a temporary ban on Ukrainian grain imports.

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Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said the decision would not affect NATO and U.S. weapons transfers through Poland.

A dispute about whether Ukrainian grain should be allowed to enter the domestic markets of Poland and a few other European Union countries, including Hungary and Slovakia, has pushed the tight relationship between Kyiv and Warsaw to its lowest point since the invasion.

Also on Thursday, seven people were injured in Kyiv, including a nine-year-old girl, reported Mayor VitaliKlitschko, as missile strikes blew out windows in buildings and cars and left fires burning around crumpled metal wreckage.

The Ukrainian Air Force said it had intercepted 36 of 43 cruise missiles launched deep into Ukraine. Closer tothe front lines, Kherson was struck with S-300 missiles, and Kharkiv was likely targeted with shorter-range weapons.

At least six strikes damaged civilian infrastructure in the Slobidskyi district of Kharkiv, said regional Gov.Oleh Syniehubov. The city's mayor added that two people had been hospitalized.

As well, at least 10 people were injured and at least one person was rescued from under rubble in Cherkasy, in central Ukraine, according to Ihor Klymenko, the country's minister of internal affairs. Rescue services were working to clear the debris in search of any others trapped.

Strikes were also reported in the western region of Lvivand in the city of Rivne, in the northwest region of the same name, but few details on casualties emerged.

While Ukraine was barraged on Thursday, Russia's Ministry of Defence reported 22 drones were taken down overnight by air defence systems, 19 above Russian-annexed Crimea and three others in the Kursk, Belgorod and Oryol regions near Ukraine. The Defence Ministry did not say whether there were any casualties.