The U.S. is expected to announce $500 million in military aid for Ukraine on Thursday at a final gathering of President Joe Biden's weapons pledging conferences, meetings Kyiv says have been critical to its defense against Russia.

President Zelenskyy and allies were meeting in Germany for the final summit on Ukrainian aid before Donald Trump takes office. Trump has been critical of the US role in the conflict.

Ukraine's Western allies will gather with President Volodymyr Zelensky at a US base in Germany on Thursday in their last such meeting before Donald Trump returns to the White House in less than two weeks.

The order for a new batch of rounds of HEI-T ammunition (High Explosive Incendiary with Tracer) was booked in December 2024 and is funded by the German government.

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump takes office on January 20 having criticized continued U.S. military aid for Ukraine's fight against Russia. This may shift the onus on support for Kyiv to fall on other allies, particularly in Europe, where a changing political leadership since his election could complicate matters.

The plans will focus on Ukraine's air force, drone programs and air defense capabilities, among other parts of Kyiv's military, a U.S. defense official said.

A Russian strike on the Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia killed at least 13 people, Ukrainian officials said, one of the deadliest single air attacks for weeks in the three-year war.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky says he will again ask his allies to boost the country's air defenses at this week’s meeting in Germany.

Ukrainian officials say a Russian missile attack in the southern Ukraine city of Zaporizhzhia killed at least 13 civilians and injured about 30 others.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has cancelled his trip to the newly established centre in the western German city of Wiesbaden that will coordinate military support for Ukraine, previously scheduled for Wednesday.

With transit routes through Ukraine for Russian gas cut off, a few EU countries now need to rethink their gas supply. For others – including Germany and Switzerland – the impact will be minimal.