Live blog: Budapest threatens to pull Kiev support over ethnic Hungarian rights

Hungary will not support Ukraine in any issue in international affairs until the language rights of ethnic Hungarians there are restored, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban told parliament.

"They want to transform (Hungarian schools) into Ukrainian schools and if that does not work they want to close them," nationalist premier Orban said in his speech, adding that his government would fight for the rights of ethnic Hungarians in western Ukraine.

"We do not support Ukraine in any issue in the international scene until it restores the laws that guarantee the rights of Hungarians."

Hungary clashed with Ukraine over what it says are curbs on the rights of roughly 150,000 ethnic Hungarians to use their native tongue, especially in education, after Kiev passed a law in 2017 restricting the use of minority languages in schools.

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1830 GMT — UN concerned over Russian forces' attacks on civilians

The Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine has expressed concern about Russian forces' attacks on civilians in the ongoing war in Ukraine.

The UN Human Rights Council established an inquiry commission on March 4, 2022, with a mandate to investigate violations of human rights and international humanitarian law in Russia's war in Ukraine.

The commission said they documented explosive weapons attacks on residential buildings, a functional medical facility, a railway station, a restaurant, shops, and commercial warehouses, and that such attacks resulted in civilian casualties, damage and destruction of key facilities, and disruption of essential services and supplies.

1824 GMT — Crimea's Sevastopol governor announces air alert

The Russian-backed governor of Crimea's Sevastopol Mikhail Razvozhayev announced an air alert in the city.

Traffic on the main bridge linking the Russian mainland with the Crimean Peninsula which Russia illegally annexed from Ukraine in 2014 has been temporarily suspended, the operator of the bridge said.

On Sept. 22 at least one Ukrainian missile struck the headquarters of Russia's Black Sea navy in Sevastopol.

1400 GMT — UN probe calls Russian media rhetoric 'incitement to genocide'

A United Nations investigation into human rights violations in Ukraine since Russia's war began has warned that some rhetoric transmitted by Russian media could amount to incitement to genocide.

Speaking before the UN Human Rights Council, the head of the investigation team, Erik Mose, voiced concern "about allegations of genocide in Ukraine".

The Norwegian judge heads a three-person Commission of Inquiry (COI), which was created by the council to investigate violations committed since Russia's offensive against its neighbour in February last year.

In its first full report in March, the team determined that Russian authorities had committed "a wide range of war crimes".

Meanwhile, Ukraine's air defence systems shot down 11 out of 12 cruise missiles and 19 out of 19 Shahed drones launched by Russia overnight, Ukraine's Air Force said.

1107 GMT — Russia tortured some Ukrainian victims to death, UN inquiry says

Russia's torture methods in parts of Ukraine it occupied have been so brutal that it tortured some of its victims to death, the head of a UN-mandated investigative body has said.

Erik Mose, Chair of the Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine, told the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva that his team had "collected further evidence indicating that the use of torture by Russian armed forces in areas under their control has been widespread and systematic".

"In some cases, torture was inflicted with such brutality that it caused the death of the victim," he said.

1040 GMT — Australia extends ‘punitive’ tariffs on imports from Russia, Belarus for 2 years

The Australian government has extended “punitive” tariffs on goods imported from Russia and Belarus for two more years.

Foreign Minister Penny Wong said in a joint statement with Australia’s Minister for Trade and Tourism Don Farrell that the tariffs "diminish Russia’s ability to fund its illegal and immoral war in Ukraine."

The tariffs will now continue until October 2025.

0312 GMT — Russia's attacks Odessa, damages port infrastructure: Ukraine

An overnight Russian air strike on the southern Ukrainian region of Odessa has caused "significant damage" to port infrastructure and destroyed some grain storage facilities, Ukrainian officials said.

No deaths were reported in the attack on Odessa, but at least one person was killed in a separate Russian air strike on the town of Beryslav in the southern region of Kherson region, regional governor Oleksandr Prokudin said.

"Another massive attack on Odessa! ... The attack resulted in the destruction of grain storage facilities and significant damage to the seaport," Economy Minister Yulia Svyrydenko said on X.

Oleh Kiper, the Odessa region governor, said the facilities that were hit had almost 1,000 tonnes of grain in storage. One woman was also injured in the attack.

0230 GMT — China's position on Ukraine war 'affecting country's image': EU commissioner

China's stance on the Russian war in Ukraine is affecting the country's image, the European Union trade commissioner warned, saying Beijing's refusal to condemn the invasion poses a "reputational risk".

China has sought to position itself as a neutral party in the Ukraine conflict while offering Moscow a vital diplomatic and financial lifeline as its international isolation deepens.

Russia and China frequently tout their "no limits" partnership and economic and military cooperation.

China's position "is affecting the country's image, not only with European consumers but also businesses", Valdis Dombrovskis said in a speech in the Chinese capital.

0005 GMT — Ukraine, US reach ‘historic decision’ to jointly produce weapons: Zelenskyy

Ukraine and the US have made an “historic decision” on the joint production of weapons, particularly air defence systems, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.

“There is an historic decision by the United States to jointly produce weapons and defence systems. In particular, air defence,” Zelenskyy said in his evening address, Ukraine's state news agency Ukrinform reported.

According to Zelenskyy, something that was an absolute fantasy until recently will become a reality.

“We will make it a reality. Everyone who works for the state. And this is the new quality of Ukraine's defence industry – much more powerful,” he said.

He also noted that this arrangement will provide a substantial economic boost, as it implies the creation of "enterprises, new jobs for both our peoples – for Ukrainians and Americans."

For our live updates from Saturday (September 24), click here.