Ukraine-Russia war live: Putin suffers ‘catastrophic’ Satan II missile failure as Zelensky hints at end of war

Russia appears to have suffered a “catastrophic failure” in a test of its Sarmat missile, a key weapon in the modernisation of its nuclear arsenal, according to arms experts who have analysed satellite images of the launch site.

The images captured by Maxar on 21 September show a crater about 60 metres wide at the launch silo at the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in northern Russia. They reveal extensive damage that was not visible in pictures taken earlier in the month.

The RS-28 Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile, known in the West as Satan II, is designed to deliver nuclear warheads against targets thousands of miles away, but its development has been dogged by setbacks.

Meanwhile during his Washington visit, Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine was “closer to the end of the war” with Russia than many people realise.

“I think that we are closer to peace than we think,” he told ABC in an interview that is due to be released in full on Tuesday.

In Kursk, the situation remains “serious” around a Russian nuclear power plant some 40km from territory seized by Ukraine, according to UN nuclear agency chief Rafael Grossi.

Russia’s overnight attack on Ukraine’s central Poltava region damaged energy infrastructure which cut power to 20 settlements, local authorities said.

The attack also damaged several private residences in the region without causing any casualties, Poltava’s regional governor said in a statement.

At least one person was killed and four more were injured in a Russian attack on Zaporizhzhia overnight, the local emergency services said this morning.

The injured include two children, officials said.

Russian forces launched fresh strikes on the southeastern city housing Europe’s largest nuclear power plant yesterday