Thanks for joining our coverage of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's surprise visit to the UK for talks with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

We're wrapping up our page now, but there's plenty more to read.

• Our report on today's visit is here
• There's more on the weapons the UK is giving Ukraine here.
• The Ukrainian leader's visit to three European allies over the weekend - Italy, Germany and France - is covered here.
• Meanwhile, on the ground in Ukraine, the battle for the eastern city of Bakhmut continues

Today's page was written by Aoife Walsh, Krystyna Gajda, Malu Cursino, Jennifer McKiernan, James Harness, Alys Davies and Emma Harrison. Our editors were Owen Amos, Jamie Whitehead and Heather Sharp.

President Zelensky left the UK a few hours ago after holding talks with Rishi Sunak over military aid and UK support for Ukraine.

Here's the latest:

• Fighter jets: Speaking after the discussions finished, Zelensky said he was "very positive" about creating a "jets coalition" and that a decision will come "in the closest time". Sunak said it would not be a "straightforward thing" to "build up that combat capability"
• Training: Sunak said the UK will play a "big part" in training Ukrainian pilots, but No 10 later said the UK has "no plans" to supply fighter jets to Ukraine
• Not going away: Sunak also responded to Russia's statement earlier that it took an "extremely negative" view of the UK supplying Ukraine with missiles and attack drones. He said it the UK was "not going away" and would continue supporting Ukraine in the long-term
• Pilots frustrated: Ukrainian defence adviser Yuriy Sak told the BBC that Ukraine has been asking for fighter jets for months, and Ukrainian pilots are "frustrated" about not having them yet. He said training could have started months ago

• Missile shot down: Russia's defence ministry claimed it had shot down a Storm Shadow cruise missile fired by Ukraine. The BBC has not verified the claim

Fighting between Russian and Ukrainian troops has been taking place in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region. Here's a selection of images showing what life has been like near the front line in recent days.

Image source, RL/SERHII NUZHNENKO/Reuters

Image source, Reuters

Image source, Reuters

Image source, Getty Images

Laura Gozzi
Live reporter

Image source, EPA

This visit to the UK comes after a hectic few days travelling around Europe for Ukraine's President Zelensky.

On Saturday, he flew to Italy, where he met the Italian president, Sergio Mattarella, PM Giorgia Meloni and Pope Francis.

His Italian hosts promised full military and financial backing, and after a 40-minute private meeting with the Pope, Zelensky thanked the Pontiff for his "personal attention to the tragedy of millions of Ukrainians".

In the early hours of Sunday, Zelensky flew to Berlin. He was welcomed by President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and met Chancellor Olaf Scholz only a day after Germany announced €2.7bn (£2.4bn) worth of weapons.

In the afternoon, Zelensky travelled to Aachen in Germany, where he received the prestigious Charlemagne prize at a ceremony attended by EU chief Ursula von der Leyen.

That evening, Zelensky met French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris. Macron promised France “will train and equip” several Ukrainian battalions and provide them with “tens of armored vehicles and light tanks".

And then, on Monday morning, Zelensky touched down in the UK. PM Rishi Sunak pledged "hundreds" of air-defence missiles and long-range attack drones for Ukraine - although he didn't commit to sending the figher jets Zelensky has been asking for.

Each of these trips had undoubtedly been in the works for some time, as any visit by Zelensky requires huge security operations.

Yet his movements are not generally revealed until the last possible minute - so most of these visits came as a surprise to onlookers.

Local media have said five people were injured in a grenade attack on a barbershop in the Russian-controlled city of Luhansk.

Russian media are also reporting that the acting head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Luhansk People's Republic Igor Kornet was injured in the explosion and that the grenade attack was likely an attempt on his life.

Image source, .

Four people have been killed and a hospital hit in a Russian missile attack on the eastern front-line city of Avdiivka, the regional governor says.

Pavlo Kyrylenko posted pictures, external of a heavily damaged three-storey building alongside his report of the deaths on Twitter.

He called on residents of the city to evacuate: "Every new day spent in the Donetsk region increases the risk of becoming a victim of Russian aggression."

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will press world leaders to back Ukraine at two major political summits in the next week.

A Downing Street spokesman said: "The Prime Minister said he would use his meetings with world leaders over the coming days at the Council of Europe and G7 Summits to stress the importance of sustaining global support for Ukraine at this pivotal time.”

The spokesman added the PM has pledged to support Ukraine's security "long-term".

He said: "The Prime Minister reiterated that the UK will continue its support to ensure Ukraine secures a just and lasting peace.

"That includes both immediate military support and providing long-term security assistance to guarantee Ukraine’s ability to deter aggression."

Earlier we heard Prime Minister Rishi Sunak remark that President Volodymyr Zelensky is the first foreign leader he's had visit him at Chequers since becoming PM.

There probably won't be many leaders who arrive for a meeting at the PM's country retreat wearing an olive-green military outfit.

Amid tight security, Sunak hugged Zelensky goodbye before the Ukrainian president donned an aviation helmet and left in a Chinook military helicopter.

Hugo Bachega
Ukraine correspondent in Kyiv

The comments by President Zelensky alongside Prime Minister Sunak indicate what was probably one of the key topics in their conversation: the Ukrainian demand for fighter jets.

For months, Zelensky has been asking Western countries to supply Ukraine with modern combat jets, ahead of the much-anticipated counteroffensive.

Zelensky said he had discussed creating a “fighter jet coalition” with the prime minister, and that in the “closest time... very important decisions” would be announced. But he acknowledged that more work needed to be done.

Ukrainian officials have often complained of how slow Western nations have been in deciding about supplying key military equipment.

Before fighter jets, long discussions were held about battle tanks and air defence systems. This delay, they say, has resulted in the deaths of not only soldiers but also civilians.

Zelensky’s visit to Europe comes ahead of a meeting of the Council of Europe in Iceland this week, days before the G7 summit in Japan. Ukraine will obviously be one of the main issues in both events.

This comes as Ukraine is preparing its counteroffensive against Russian forces. But, as the president told me last week, his country still does not have everything it needs.

Yuriy Sak, adviser to Ukraine Minister of Defence, has been speaking to the BBC after today’s talks between President Zelensky and UK PM Rishi Sunak.

He thanks the UK for its support and says Ukraine hopes the UK "will take leadership in the formation of the jet coalition" - which the Ukrainian president mentioned after the talks.

But Ukraine has been asking for fighter planes for many months, and when asked about the timescale, he says the word "frustrated" doesn't "go anywhere near" describing the emotions of Ukrainian pilots. He says training could have started a long time ago.

“We understand there is lot of logistics to be done, but at the same time certain things could have been happening already,” Sak says, adding that he hopes “we will catch up now”.

He says Russia “is in a state of panic” as it sees the "unwavering" support for Ukraine from elsewhere in Europe.

Asked about future counteroffensive action from Ukraine, Sak says some it's "not an even you can see the start of with the blow of a whistle" and that some "shaping operations" have already begun.

In Bakhmut, he says, Ukrainian forces are “taking a couple of square kilometres a day” in the eastern city and “there is more to come”.

Jonathan Blake
BBC political correspondent

The UK has "no plans" to supply fighter jets to Ukraine, Downing Street has said.

The prime minister's spokesman said: "The Ukrainians made the decision to train their pilots on F-16s and you will know the RAF don't use those."

While the UK would not provide that "specific capability", the spokesman said the UK would be "working with other countries who are looking to provide F-16s".

Russia's defence ministry says it has shot down a Storm Shadow cruise missile fired by Ukraine.

The BBC has not verified the claim, but a defence ministry official quoted in Russian state media said in a statement: "Air defence systems have intercepted seven Harm anti-radar missiles and one Storm Shadow long-range cruise missile, as well as ten Himars rocket rounds".

A few days ago, the UK confirmed it is supplying Ukraine with the long-range missiles - which have a range of 250km (155 miles), according to the manufacturer.

Earlier today, the Kremlin said it takes an "extremely negative" view of Britain supplying the Storm Shadow missiles to Ukraine.

Image source, BBC research, Getty Images

Today's meeting between Zelensky and Sunak gives us some further insights into how the UK will assist Ukraine's ongoing war efforts against Russia.

Let's take a look at some of the major hardware Britain has already committed in its £4.6bn ($5.7bn) of military assistance to Ukraine.

• Challenger 2 main battle tanks - 14 tanks sent
• Storm Shadow missiles - the precision strike missiles can be fired about 155 miles (250km)
• Sea King search and rescue helicopters - three retired helicopters to be sent, one is there already
• Armoured vehicles - at least 120 units, including Mastiff patrol vehicles
• Air defence systems - at least six systems
• M270 long range multiple launch rocket systems - three sent
• Anti-tank weapons - 5,000 next generation weapons
• Attack drones and air defence missiles - Downing Street says "hundreds" will be provided

The UK is the second largest provider of military assistance to Ukraine behind the United States' $37.6bn (£30bn).

Britain's offerings also include at least 200,000 non-lethal items such as body armour and medical equipment. And the UK leads a programme which aims to train 30,000 Ukrainian soldiers and pilots.

You can read more about the what is being sent, and how much of a difference it is making, here.

Image source, EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock

If you're just joining us, welcome. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has been holding talks with UK PM Rishi Sunak in the latest in a string of visits to European allies.

• Sunak hosted Zelensky at Chequers, his official country residence, with the pair discussing military aid ahead of an expected Ukrainian counteroffensive

• Following the meeting, Zelensky - who has long called on European allies to suppy war planes - said he wants to create a "jet coalition"
• Sunak did not commit to sending planes, but said the UK can "play a big part", including the previously-announced training of Ukrainian fighter pilots
• Sunak also told Russia "we're not going anywhere", after Russia criticised the UK's support for Ukraine

• Before the talks, the UK pledged "hundreds" of air-defence missiles and long-range attack drones - the missiles had already been announced

The UK going further than any other countrypublished at 12:21 British Summer Time 15 May 2023

12:21 BST 15 May 2023

Frank Gardner
Security Correspondent

No wonder Moscow is furious. The UK is going further than any other country - even the US, Kyiv’s biggest backer - in providing Ukraine with the means to hit Russian forces well behind the lines.

Taken together with the recent announcement that Britain is sending Storm Shadow cruise missiles to Ukraine, the package announced today will give the Ukrainians a significant boost to their chances of success in their long-promised spring/summer offensive.

The air defence systems Britain is sending are just that - defensive.

They can help Ukraine ward off the constant waves of Russian missile and drone attacks, strikes that may well intensify if and when Ukrainian forces attempt a major breakthrough in the Russian lines.

But it’s the long-range cruise missiles and attack drones that have the potential to tip the battlefield in Ukraine’s favour.

If they can destroy Russia’s positions on occupied Ukrainian territory - its command centres, logistics hubs, ammunition depots - then it may prove impossible for Moscow to continue resupplying its frontline troops in places.

This is what Ukraine did so successfully in Kherson last year, forcing the Russians to withdraw almost without a fight. It will now be hoping to repeat the process with the help of Western-supplied munitions.

While taking questions from the press, Sunak was asked about Russia's statement earlier that it took an "extremely negative" view of the UK providing Ukraine with more missiles and long-range attack drones.

Sunak said: "It is interesting to hear from the Kremlin."

He added that Russia conducted an "unprovoked and illegal attack" on Ukrainian people, committing "horrific war crimes".

"As we said right at the beginning, the UK will remain steadfast in supporting Ukraine and its people," he said.

He said it was important for the Kremlin to know the UK was "not going away", adding that "we're here for the long-term".

More now from from Zelensky's and Sunak's Q&A with the press at Chequers.

Zelensky is asked whether it is fair to say his country cannot begin a counteroffensive against Russia until he receives more advanced weapons.

"We really need some more time," Zelensky replies. "Not too much. We will be ready in some time."

But he says he cannot share details, saying: "There are no secrets from our friends but there are secrets from our neighbours."

He says the support from the UK "will help us to be more strong".

President Zelensky has left Chequers after two hours of talks with Rishi Sunak.

Following from Zelensky's comments on fighter planes, Sunak says the UK will be a key part of a coalition of countries supporting Ukraine - though he says it's "not a straightforward thing" to build up combat aircraft capability.

It's not just the provision of planes, it's the training of pilots and other logistics, he says, but the UK "can play a big part" in it.

He says the UK will begin - starting "relatively soon" - the training of Ukrainian pilots.

The UK announced a training programme for Ukrainian pilots on modern F-16 jets in February. , external

The Ukrainian air force still relies on Soviet-era planes, and has asked regularly for upgrades.

Zelensky is asked how negotiations following his previous request for modern, Western fighters jets are going.

He says it is a "very important" topic for Ukraine "because we can’t control the sky".

"We want to create this jet coalition," he says. "I’m very positive with it."

He says he thinks we will soon hear some "very important decisions" but "we have to work a little bit more on it".