‘Mass casualty event’ declared as tornadoes hit Kentucky and Missouri
At least 27 people have died after severe storms and tornadoes hit parts of the US.
Eighteen people have died in Kentucky and at least 10 were in a critical condition, its governor Andy Beshear said, while seven have died in Missouri and two in northern Virginia.
The weather system also saw tornadoes tear through Wisconsin, leaving hundreds of thousands of people without power.
In the Missouri city of St Louis, five people were confirmed dead and more than 5,000 homes were damaged, mayor Cara Spencer said on Saturday.
The storm system originally hit Scott County, 130 miles south of St Louis, on Friday, killing two people, Sheriff Derick Wheetley said.
The devastation that ensued saw roofs torn off buildings, blown-out windows, toppled trees, and power lines.
A house completely collapsed in St Louis, Missouri on Friday. Pic: Reuters
A map of the most impacted areas
St Louis mayor Cara Spencer said: “Our city is grieving tonight. The loss of life and the destruction is truly, truly horrendous.”
Dozens of people are believed to have been injured and in hospital, but the exact numbers in Missouri have not been confirmed.
Kentucky officials described the situation there as a “mass casualty event” after the weather system tore across Laurel County late on Friday.
At least 17 people were killed in Laurel County when a twister touched down around midnight, governor Mr Beshear said on Saturday afternoon on social media.
Among the dead was a firefighter with the Laurel County Fire Department who was fatally injured while responding to the havoc caused by the weather.
The side of a house ripped off by storms in St Louis, Missouri. Pic: Reuters
Several people were taken to hospital, buildings were damaged, and a car flipped over on a busy highway, local officials reported.
Laurel County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Gilbert Acciardo said rescuers had “been on the ground all night looking for possible survivors”.
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People sit outside their destroyed homes in St Louis, Missouri late on Friday. Pic: Reuters
Further devastation expected in other states
The National Weather Service warned of further devastation hitting Texas, Kansas, and Oklahoma on Saturday.
“Severe thunderstorms producing large to very large hail, damaging gusts, and a couple of tornadoes are expected across the southern Plains,” it said on its website.
The Midwest tornadoes were also expected to hit Illinois, eventually stretching to New Jersey and the Atlantic coast.
Vladimir Putin told Donald Trump he “will not back down” from Russia’s goals in Ukraine during a phone call today, the Kremlin has said.
The Russian president spoke to his US counterpart for almost an hour, and Mr Trump “again raised the issue of an early end to military action” in Ukraine, Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov told reporters.
In response, Mr Putin said “Russia will not back down” from its aims there, which include “the elimination of the well-known root causes that led to the current state of affairs,” Mr Ushakov said.
The phrase “root causes” is shorthand for Moscow’s argument that it was compelled to invade Ukraine in order to prevent the country from joining NATO.
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Trump and Putin’s latest call on Ukraine
Ukraine and its European allies say this is a pretext to justify what they call an imperial-style war, but Mr Trump has previously shown sympathy with Russia.
At the same time, Mr Putin told the US president that Russia is ready to continue negotiating, the aide said.
The Russian president said any prospective peace deal must see Ukraine give up its NATO bid and recognise his country’s territorial gains.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy, seen with Mr Trump in June, is pushing for Ukraine to join NATO. Pic: Reuters
He also briefed Mr Trump on agreements made last month, which saw Russia and Ukraine exchange prisoners of war and dead soldiers.
Specific dates for the third round of peace talks in Istanbul were not discussed – nor was the US decision to halt some shipments of critical weapons to Ukraine.
Mr Putin and Mr Trump’s call came after the Pentagon confirmed some weapons due to be sent to Ukraine have been held as it reviews military stockpiles.
The paused shipments include air defence missiles and precision-guided artillery, two people familiar with the situation have said.
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The decision led to Ukraine calling in the acting US envoy to Kyiv on Wednesday to underline the importance of military aid from Washington.
Kyiv also cautioned that the move would weaken Ukraine’s ability to defend itself against intensifying Russian airstrikes and battlefield advances.
Mr Putin and Mr Trump’s phone call was the sixth they have publicly disclosed since the US president returned to the White House in January.
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