Ukraine war latest: Zelenskyy accuses Russia of 'escalating terror' as two killed in Kyiv drone attack

Plans for 200 underground schools across Ukraine

During her address, Ukraine's first lady Olena Zelenska told leaders that the country has already built 15 underground schools out of a planned 200.

"Russia deliberately targets our educational institutions, having already destroyed 394 facilities and damaged more than 3,500," she said.

"I want to especially thank every international partner who helps us provide education to children."

'Millions of Ukrainians go to work after spending their nights in basements,' Zelenskyy's wife tells leaders

Volodymyr Zelenskyy's wife has just left the stage at the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Rome.

Olena Zelenska said nothing will bring back the lives that have been taken by Russia since the war began and that many Ukrainians "live in anxiety and fear, knowing they could be next".

"According to the latest sociological studies, more than 80% of Ukrainians are living in a chronic state of stress and strain," she said.

"We have many internet memes about this. The kind where after yet another shelling people write in work chats, 'survived - so I am going to go to work today'.

"Our economy continues to function thanks to millions of people who go to work after spending their nights in basements."

But she added the emotions Ukrainians carry are "fatigue and despair". 

Kremlin says Ukraine peace process has not stalled

As Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke just now in Rome, the Kremlin insisted that it still wants to achieve its goals in Ukraine through peaceful political and diplomatic means.

Zelenskyy has accused Moscow of stalling peace talks and feigning its readiness for a ceasefire with its ongoing strikes across Ukraine. 

Speaking this morning, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Russia does not think peace talks have stalled and that Moscow is waiting for Ukraine to give it a signal about whether it's ready to start the third round of talks.

The first high-level talks between Russia and Ukraine since the early months of Moscow's invasion in 2022, kicked off in May in Istanbul.

Over €10bn pledged for Ukraine's recovery

Participants at the Rome conference have pledged over €10bn (£8.6bn) to help rebuild Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy says, with "around 200 agreements ready to be signed".

He singles out energy as a particular priority for the coming months.

"Putin has only two real allies - terror and winter. And we must respond to both," he adds.

Earlier, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said members "should be proud of the result" achieved together.

'We need a Marshall Plan approach'

The Ukrainian leader says a clear recovery plan is needed when it comes to rebuilding his country.

"Now we have a real opportunity to spark a new wave of progress," he says. "We need a Marshall Plan style approach and we should develop it together."

Volodymyr Zelenskyy says he will only welcome "true partners," and only those "who are not helping Russia continue this war".

"Only friends are invited to be a part of Ukraine's economic and technological recovery."

For context: The Marshall Plan was an American initiative enacted in 1948 to provide foreign aid to western Europe after the Second World War.

Zelenskyy: Russian drone attacks on Ukraine are pure terrorism

Volodymyr Zelenskyy is now addressing world leaders at the Ukraine Recovery Conference.

On the latest drone attack on Kyiv, the Ukrainian president says the massive strike involved Russian-Iranian Shahed drones, which he says are harder to shoot down.

"Ukrainians now face attacks by hundreds of these drones every single night and this is pure terrorism," he says.

He notes that just a day earlier, over 700 drones and missiles were launched at Ukraine.

"This is exactly what Putin wants, for our people to suffer and flee Ukraine," he says.

Zelenskyy says his country needs more air defence systems and missiles and urges allies to increase their investments.

"When Russia increases its attacks, we cannot have a shortage of funding for drone production," he adds.

Russia says it struck military-industrial facilities in Kyiv

Russia has responded to its latest large-scale attack on Kyiv.

The Kremlin's defence ministry said its forces successfully carried out strikes on military-industrial facilities in Kyiv and on a military airfield in Ukraine.

This was carried out using "high-precision long-range weapons" and drones, it added.

Sky News cannot independently verify battlefield reports.

Leaders gather for family photo at Ukraine conference

World leaders - including Volodymyr Zelenskyy - have now arrived at the Ukraine Recovery Conference and are gathered for a family photo.

Earlier, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni greeted each of the international guests and welcomed them to the two-day event.

Governments are coming together at the conference in the Italian capital with a shared commitment to strengthen the resilience of Ukraine for "as long as needed".

We should be hearing from Meloni and Zelenskyy shortly.

Zelenskyy holds 'substantive' conversation with Kellogg

As we have just reported, Volodymyr Zelenskyy has arrived at the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Rome, where he is set to speak later.

This follows a "substantive" conversation he had with Donald Trump's Ukraine envoy Keith Kellogg yesterday.

Both men are in Italy for the conference, which is dedicated to Ukraine's recovery and long-term reconstruction.

In a statement on X, the Ukrainian leader said he and Kellogg had discussed at length proposals to slap tougher sanctions on Moscow and the purchase of American weapons.

Zelenskyy arrives in Rome

Volodymyr Zelenskyy has just arrived in Rome for the Ukraine Recovery Conference.

He's due to address the conference later, with more than 90 countries and 80 heads of state and government attending either in person or virtually.

You can watch Zelenskyy's arrival at the conference in the stream at the top of this page.

Air raid sirens sounding in Kyiv region

Air raid sirens are currently sounding in the Kyiv region after the Ukrainian capital was hit by a barrage of drones this morning.

Alerts are also going off in the Zhytomyr, Chernihiv and Poltava regions.

Moscow has recently sought to overwhelm Ukraine's air defences with major attacks - including increasing numbers of decoy drones.

-SKY NEWS