Ukraine is celebrating its independence day on Sunday, which marks the country's declaration of independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. The UK government has announced that Ukrainian flags will appear above Downing Street on Sunday in recognition of the anniversary.

The Defense Department has withheld approval for attacks as the White House has sought to entice Moscow to open peace talks.

The Pentagon has been quietly blocking Ukraine from using U.S.-made long-range Army Tactical Missile Systems (Atacms) to strike targets inside Russia, limiting Kyiv's ability to employ these weapons in its defense against Moscow's invasion,

The U.S. has quietly implemented a review process giving Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth authority to approve Ukrainian long-range strikes inside Russia with American missiles, effectively blocking strikes for months,