tonight at ten, for the first time in months, the ukrainian capital comes underfire in a russian missile attack. the strikes were horrific and indiscriminate, according to nato — many directed at civilian

buildings and facilities. some of the capital's tourist infrastructure has been destroyed. we report from kyiv on the impact of russia's actions. these were not military targets. the children's playground through the trees, part of the university of kyiv over there and this is a government department — of science and education. we'll have the latest from kyiv and from moscow, where president putin is warning of more strikes to come. also tonight... a nurse goes on trial, pleading not guilty to the murder of seven babies and the attempted murder of ten others at a hospital in chester. the chancellor brings forward the date of his financial statement on balancing the books, but the financial markets are still not reassured. and, the threat to seals from the plastics in the sea. we report on a development that should reduce the danger. and coming up on the bbc news channel, he has

a new contract but could steve cooper's nottingham forest get a much—needed victory over aston villa? good evening. eight months after the invasion of ukraine, president putin has ordered what he called a "mass strike" against ten cities, including the capital, kyiv. they have all come under sustained missile attacks in the biggest bombardment by russian forces since the early weeks of the conflict. critical infrastructure and many homes were reported to be among the sites targeted, including dozens of residential buildings, healthcare facilities and schools. the major areas affected were the capital, kyiv, along with dnipro, zaporizhizhia, kharkiv and lviv. president putin said

the strikes were retaliation for saturday's attack on a key bridge linking russia with its occupied land in crimea. our correspondent paul adams reports from the centre of kyiv, where the strikes began early this morning. explosions. screaming. after months of quiet in the capital, the war is back. for three chaotic hours this morning the missiles kept coming. for one young woman, already recording her own sense of shock, a narrow escape. a major city in the south of the country... my bbc colleague hugo bachega was broadcasting live when it all began.

translation: they want panic and chaos, they want _ to destroy our energy system, they are hopeless. the second target is people. such a time and such goals were especially chosen to cause as much damage as possible, but we are ukrainians, we help each other, we believe in ourselves. we restore everything that is destroyed. tourist locations were hit as well. this is the city's famous glass bridge. at times it felt like a city being punished in its favourite, most iconic places. for many, it meant a hasty return to bomb shelters not used for months. they want to destroy our people, our infrastructure, everything. i really don't know, i'm extremely angry, you know. when moscow decided it had done enough, it ended. the clean—up began. there are bodies lying on the street here in this elegant, european capital. it has been almost four months since the last attack in kyiv. in three short hours, a growing

sense of normality was shattered. this is the first time missiles have landed right here in the centre of kyiv, and these were not military targets. the children's playground through the trees, part of the university of kyiv over there, and this is a government department — of science and education. nearby, a huge crater in a place where children come to play. olena and valeri live around the corner. their children and grandchildren know this place well. translation: it is horrible. this is our life and just now, i don't know, an abyss has opened up in our lives. it is terrible. we will be more careful now. when the sirens sound, we will go straight to the shelter. and it wasn't just the capital. in the southern city of zaporizhzhia, it was another hellish night. one of many in recent days.

another 14 civilians died in one apartment block. ten missiles fell around dnipro, one landing right in front of a bus. and far to the west, explosions in lviv. this city has not been hit since the spring. much of it is still without power. in kyiv�*s famously deep metro, they gathered and sang. people lived down here for weeks when the war began. two days ago, ukraine was celebrating an attack on russia's bridge to crimea. today that euphoria is gone. fear once again stalking the capital. pauladams, bbc news, kyiv. as we heard, president putin said the strikes were made following what he called "terrorist actions" by the ukrainian government after the bombing of a strategically important bridge on saturday.

ukraine hasn't declared any involvement in the bombing. the kerch bridge was badly damaged by a large explosion. the bridge was a vital route for military supplies — the only road and rail link between russia and occupied crimea. the russian president said today the attack "couldn't go una nswered." it's unclear what caused the explosion. russia was quick to suggest it was a truck bomb. some experts say there was a massive explosion below the bridge. our russia editor, steve rosenberg, has the latest on the day's events. after the missile strikes on ukraine, a kremlin threat to kyiv. translation: if any more attempts are made to carry out terrorist - attacks on our territory, russia's response will be harsh and will be equal to the threat

posed to the russian federation. nobody should have any doubts about that. the kremlin has no douth that it was ukrainian intelligence services that did this to the bridge between russia and annexed crimea. russia's response, the bombardment of ukraine. the missile strikes were from land, air and sea. russian state tv saw them as a turning point. "we have gone on the attack now, on all fronts," she says. president biden condemned moscow's unprovoked aggression. but if you think the kremlin cares, think again. vladimir putin will not be distracted by international criticism of these russian attacks. he gives the impression of a leader who has long stopped caring about what the rest of the world thinks about him. his strategy, if there is one, is to keep escalating,

to increase the pressure on ukraine and on the west. but escalation increases the risks, the dangers, for all sides. the conflict itself is very dangerous because neither side can afford to lose and that means the risks of escalation is always there. of course, at least in theory, that implies under a set of certain circumstances, this escalation could go as high as a nuclear war. and what about the russian public? surveys show that escalation is sparking growing anxiety. people here were worried about the missile strikes on ukraine and the attack on the crimean bridge. "they should not have blown up the bridge," nikolai says, "it was a big mistake. "i don't support shelling civilian targets, but we had to respond. "now i worry about things escalating." it is very bad for

ukrainians, of course. i am really sorry about them and i don't know what to say, it is awful. the kremlin feels no public pressure to change course. for now, that gives president putin a free hand to act however he wants, and that means continued confrontation. steve rosenberg, bbc news, moscow. we will be talking to steve in just a moment. before that, a question. what do developments over recent days tell us about the current state of the war? as we've heard, the bombing of the kerch bridge at the weekend appears to have led to the latest bombardment. just yesterday, residents in kyiv were celebrating with a mural showing the bridge on fire. ukraine has been making military gains over the past few weeks —

they've been taking more territory, the bits in purple, despite russia's self—declared annexation of four areas in red. that has been the balance we are talking about. although russia has been struggling to make progress, president putin has responded with a clear show of force today. in a moment we'll talk to our russia editor, steve rosenberg, in moscow, but first our world affairs editor, john simpson, is in kyiv tonight. what is your reading of the situation tonight, john? first of all, i situation tonight, john? first of all. i should _ situation tonight, john? first of all, i should say _ situation tonight, john? first of all, i should say that _ situation tonight, john? first of all, i should say that while - situation tonight, john? first of all, i should say that while we | situation tonight, john? first of. all, i should say that while we have been on air i think they have been six explosions really quite close to where we are. we are down in the basement of our hotel because it was judged that having television lights on the roof would be too dangerous, and absolutely right, as it turned out. i have been in these sort of situations plenty of times before.

the key thing is, it never seems to work to hammer a country and try constantly to destroy it. itjust makes the inhabitants angrier and more determined to resist, and that is certainly what is happening at the moment in ukraine. and it helps president zelensky in the sense that he is able to go to the west and say, look, you have got to give us more help, and they certainly will. as for president putin, it really probably is not going to be worth the relatively small amount of damage he has done today to this country in terms of the loss of reputation russia is receiving right around the world. john reputation russia is receiving right around the world.— reputation russia is receiving right around the world. john many thanks. let's no to around the world. john many thanks. let's go to steve _ around the world. john many thanks. let's go to steve rosenberg - around the world. john many thanks. let's go to steve rosenberg in - let's go to steve rosenberg in moscow and picking up the point on

resident putin, is there any sign that what has happened that they will strengthen his position within russia? for will strengthen his position within russia? ., ., ., russia? for vladimir putin, today was all about _ russia? for vladimir putin, today was all about trying _ russia? for vladimir putin, today was all about trying to _ russia? for vladimir putin, today was all about trying to show - russia? for vladimir putin, today was all about trying to show he i russia? for vladimir putin, today was all about trying to show he is | was all about trying to show he is strong, _ was all about trying to show he is strong, that russia is a strong but the problem is that one day bombardments across ukraine does not erase everything that came before and what — erase everything that came before and what came before points to vladimir— and what came before points to vladimir putin coming weaker. the fact his _ vladimir putin coming weaker. the fact his so—called special military operation — fact his so—called special military operation has not been going according to plan, that fact that the russian army has been suffering significant _ the russian army has been suffering significant losses, russia has been losing _ significant losses, russia has been losing territory and circumstances have _ losing territory and circumstances have been— losing territory and circumstances have been forcing vladimir putin to do things— have been forcing vladimir putin to do things he did not want to do. for example. _ do things he did not want to do. for example, declaring mobilisation. all this suggests that he is not acting from _ this suggests that he is not acting from a _ this suggests that he is not acting from a position of strength. the other— from a position of strength. the other problem vladimir putin has an russia _ other problem vladimir putin has an russia has— other problem vladimir putin has an russia has is he has opened a pandoras— russia has is he has opened a pandora's box, i think of ultra nationalist extremist sentiment.

there _ nationalist extremist sentiment. there are — nationalist extremist sentiment. there are hardcore ultra patriots here _ there are hardcore ultra patriots here pushing him on to escalate here pushing him onto escalate further— here pushing him on to escalate further and that is dangerous. steve, — further and that is dangerous. steve, many thanks as well, steve rosenberg, our russia editor with the latest in moscow. a new intervention in the debate on the ukrainian conflict will come tomorrow, in a speech by the head of the gchq intelligency agency, sirjeremy fleming. our security correspondent gordon corera is here. what we expect? a long scheduled speech but a significant one but a significant one in which he is expected to describe russian forces as exhausted and facing staggering costs in terms of equipment and personnel. one particular line he will say is that we know and russian commanders on the ground know that their supplies and ammunition are running out and that suggests it comes from some kind of intelligence perhaps intercepted communications and that shortage might sound strange in the context of the strikes we have been hearing about but it fits with other information suggesting the stocks of those missiles they are using are running

low. goes to the point that vladimir putin appears to be lashing out rather than starting something he can sustain. but that is not to say we are not at a moment of danger and i think western officials are very aware of those risks of escalating that we were just hearing about. there are more things vladimir putin can do, he can attack supply lines in late —— neighbouring countries, cyber attacks on the west, all short of the darkest option of some kind of the darkest option of some kind of tactical nuclear weapon which is all to say that a cornered vladimir putin, and even one with an exhausted military, is still capable of posing real risks. {lilia exhausted military, is still capable of posing real risks.— of posing real risks. ok, gordon, many thanks — at manchester crown court, the trial has started of a nurse charged with the murder of seven babies, and an attempt to kill ten others, at the countess of chester hospital in 2015 and 2016. lucy letby has pleaded not guilty to all the charges. our north of england corrrespondent

judith moritz reports. lucy letby worked with particularly vulnerable babies, those born prematurely or with illnesses. herjob was to give them the most tender care. now she is accused of murdering seven and trying to kill another ten who survived. in the year betweenjune 2015 and june 2016, the babies were all patients in the neonatal section of the countess of chester maternity unit. the prosecution say it's a hospital like many others in the uk, but unlike those, within the unit at chester there was a poisoner at work. lucy letby entered not guilty pleas to all the charges before her trial got under way. the jury was told that the babies' deaths and collapses were not naturally occurring tragedies. they were the work of the woman in the dock who was the constant malevolent presence when things took a turn for the worse. the prosecution say the methods by which the 17 babies were harmed or killed varied.

sometimes they were injected with air, sometimes with milk or anotherfluid, sometimes it was insulin. the jury were shown a list which compared the times that staff were on shift with the times it's alleged the babies were attacked. they were told that by a process of elimination, only one person was present every time — lucy letby. the court heard that initially the babies were thought to have fallen ill or died as a result of natural causes. the police were eventually called in and the nurse was first arrested in 2018, more than three years after the first death. the house which she lived in at the time was searched and the court heard that paperwork relating to some of the babies was discovered. the families of many of the babies have been at court and lucy letby�*s parents have been watching proceedings too. the case against her continues. it is expected to last for six months. judith moritz, bbc news, manchester.

the chancellor, kwasi kwarteng, has now agreed to set out his plan for balancing the government's finances on 31st october. that's nearly a month earlier than he'd originally intended. the economic statement is expected to give details of the chancellor's plans to pay for £15 billion worth of tax cuts, as well as proposals to reduce debt. our political editor chris mason is at westminster. what is the government trying to do here? why the change of date? it is about reassurance — why the change of date? it is about reassurance or _ why the change of date? it is about reassurance or so _ why the change of date? it is about reassurance or so they _ why the change of date? it is about reassurance or so they hope. - reassurance or so they hope. reassurance they know what they are doing, reassurance the numbers add up doing, reassurance the numbers add up and we can expect spending cuts to come in that statement in a few weeks' time. there has been other evidence of the government attempting to reassure with an announcement of new senior civil servants at the treasury. just a couple of weeks ago the new chancellor was making a big thing about smashing the economic

orthodoxy of the treasury, the way it does things. he even sacked the top civil servant in their first meeting and yet today, these newbies all have loads of treasury experience, again an attempt to reassure. then as mps return here to westminster tomorrow, you can expect them to be smothered in reassurance from the prime minister. a prime minister in trouble who is now trying to get herself out of bed. chris, thank you. government borrowing costs rose today, despite the chancellor's announcement about the timing of his statement. our business correspondent dharshini david is here. any sign that the markets are reassured? not yet. at the heart of this is credibility and no signs as yet the markets are convinced by the government's strategy and borrowers are paying the price. let's take a

look at the bond market because that determines how the government borrows. the higher the rate there, the riskier the plans are perceived, so they had to pay a higher rate to attract investors. you can see the swings there, the bank of england had to calm the markets. today it confirmed that intervention is temporary and we saw those costs rise again. that impacts mortgage rates. you take out a two—year, five year fixed rate mortgage rates. you take out a two—year, five yearfixed rate it will cost you more than 6% now. what does it take to ease those markets? it depends what the chancellor unveils on halloween and what the watchdog mix of both plans. three things he has to reassure them all. do those growth plans add up? how does he find those tax cuts? and can he bring that down? those last two together can economists reckon could mean spending cuts or perhaps £50 billion, about the size of the defence budget. so there is a cost

to restoring credibility and quite frankly it could be public services that paid the price at a particular tricky time. that paid the price at a particular tricky time-— the first minister of scotland, nicola sturgeon, says the snp's economic case for an independent scotland will be set out in a week's time. ms sturgeon was addressing the snp conference in aberdeen, where she told party members that a prime economic goal would be to set up an investment fund, using remaining oil revenues and borrowing, to support renewable energy to reduce bills and fuel poverty. our scotland editor james cook has more details. nicola sturgeon has been dreaming of independence since she was a teenager and now she insists her dream is closer than ever, despite losing a referendum eight years ago. back in 2014, the westminster establishment told us that it was a uk's standing in the world, its economic strength

and its stability that made independence impossible. now they say it is the uk's isolation, its weakness and instability, the very conditions they created, that means change can't happen. as far as westminster is concerned, it is heads they win and tails we lose. but this time, it will not wash. she said the tories were guilty of pursuing a damaging and aggressive unionism, but labour, rising in the polls, were not much better. bluntly, they are willing to chuck scotland under borisjohnson's brexit bus to get the keys to downing street. a referendum said the first minister was a matter of democracy. to make sure we get the governments that the largest

number of us vote for — always, notjust occasionally — for that, my friends, we need scotland's independence. they liked that, and a promise that she wouldn't be standing down as leader any time soon. nicola sturgeon has set out her case but the real threat to scotland is not independence but the union. next week she will flesh out that argument with a paper on the economics of independence, and it may be that that document is even more significant than this speech. that paper may shape the new constitutional battleground. downing street says there will not be a referendum and it hopes the supreme court will agree. i will referendum and it hopes the supreme court will agree.— court will agree. i will be campaigning _ court will agree. i will be campaigning for- court will agree. i will be - campaigning for independence, court will agree. i will be _ campaigning for independence, that is what i am going to be to do and it will be a positive message. we are the generation of independence

and i believe that. i hope that we do achieve — and i believe that. i hope that we do achieve that and that's why we are ail— do achieve that and that's why we are all fighting for that. we do achieve that and that's why we are all fighting for that.— are all fighting for that. we have eve hinu are all fighting for that. we have everything it _ are all fighting for that. we have everything it takes _ are all fighting for that. we have everything it takes a... - are all fighting for that. we have everything it takes a... but howl are all fighting for that. we have i everything it takes a... but how did the speech — everything it takes a... but how did the speech go _ everything it takes a... but how did the speech go down _ everything it takes a... but how did the speech go down outside - everything it takes a... but how did the speech go down outside the - everything it takes a... but how did | the speech go down outside the hall with these pensioners in glasgow? the problem is we had to start believing in ourselves. i the problem is we had to start believing in ourselves. i tell you something _ believing in ourselves. i tell you something about _ believing in ourselves. i tell you something about what - believing in ourselves. i tell you something about what nicola i believing in ourselves. i tell you - something about what nicola sturgeon hasjust_ something about what nicola sturgeon hasjust said, it is all fine and great — hasjust said, it is all fine and great in — hasjust said, it is all fine and great in the real world. we hasjust said, it is all fine and great in the real world. we had to have the money _ great in the real world. we had to have the money to _ great in the real world. we had to have the money to pay _ great in the real world. we had to have the money to pay for - great in the real world. we had to have the money to pay for it - great in the real world. we had to have the money to pay for it all. | have the money to pay for it all. i have _ have the money to pay for it all. i have lived — have the money to pay for it all. i have lived in— have the money to pay for it all. i have lived in scotland _ have the money to pay for it all. i have lived in scotland all- have the money to pay for it all. i have lived in scotland all my - have the money to pay for it all. i have lived in scotland all my life. have lived in scotland all my life and i_ have lived in scotland all my life and i back— have lived in scotland all my life and i back us _ have lived in scotland all my life and i back us the _ have lived in scotland all my life and i back us the full— have lived in scotland all my life and i back us the full way. - and i back us the full way. independence _ and i back us the full way. independence i— and i back us the full way. independence i would - and i back us the full way. independence i would likej and i back us the full way. - independence i would like myself. i was very for independence and it was probably a _ was very for independence and it was probably a big part of me still has that yearning but at the same time, i that yearning but at the same time, i haven't— that yearning but at the same time, i haven't got the answers i want to the question. a i haven't got the answers i want to the question-— the question. a nicola sturgeon knows she _ the question. a nicola sturgeon knows she must _ the question. a nicola sturgeon knows she must provide - the question. a nicola sturgeon

knows she must provide those l the question. a nicola sturgeon - knows she must provide those answers if she is ever to turn her dream into reality. james cook, bbc news, aberdeen. the public inquiry into the wrongful convictions of hundreds of post office branch managers will begin again tomorrow. the post office, the government and the japanese technology giant fujitsu will all give evidence over the coming weeks. the post office prosecuted more than 700 sub—postmasters between 2000 and 2014, based on information from a computer system called horizon which falsely suggested there were cash shortfalls. some went to prison following convictions for fraud and theft in what's been described as the biggest miscarriage ofjustice in british history. a high courtjudgment eventually found the it system — developed by the fujitsu — was riddled with "bugs, errors and defects." but so far nobody has been held accountable. now a former fujitsu uk board director has spoken exclusively to the bbc

about what happened, as our correspondent colletta smith reports. i don't get it, i really don't get it. most of us were aware then, obviously, that horizon had issues but they still chose to prosecute me. i can still hear to this day, that cell door slamming behind me. very, very hard when you know you've not done anything. over the last six months, this inquiry has heard from sub—postmasters treated as criminals by the post office. now it wants to find out who knew about the software problems and what they did about it. andy mcnaughton has agreed to meet at this hotel to talk about his work 20 years ago, sorting out a handful of fujitsu's big government contracts... some people must have known about it... ..including the one for the post office, rolling out new computers and software into every single branch. you can't force somebody to take something that they don't want to or don't believe works.

the post office should have gone back to fujitsu and said, these systems are wrong. we're either going take them out or you fix them. but there were questions being asked about that software, even as the roll—out was beginning. the investment was huge... like software trainerjez who spoke to me earlier this year. occasionally it would work, a lot of the time it wouldn't work and, you know, we used to say, there's obviously a fault there, they said, but on the live system, it's never going to be a fault. it will be fixed before it goes live. i didn't hear anything of that in the board, i nobody reported that to us. fujitsu told us it is committed to providing the fullest and most transparent information to this inquiry. the government say fujitsu are no longer a preferred supplier, but they can still win contracts. we have got some postmasters still waiting for compensation, really struggling, you know, lots of them still bankrupt as a result of this. do you think fujitsu should

contribute something as a gesture? the issue is, as soon as you start doing that, there is an admission of guilt and liability. which, you know, why would any company want to do that? the post office say they are transparently assisting the inquiry in its important work to determine what went wrong. more than a dozen fujitsu staff will be questioned, along with post office and government officials in the coming weeks. no one within fujitsu has ever apologised to some postmasters. do you think they should? and sort of apologise for what? i think they probably feel bad about it but, yeah... i'm trying to work out what you would apologise for. colletta smith, bbc news. the prince and princess of wales have recorded a special edition of radio1 newsbeat to mark world mental health day.

they became newsbeat reporters for the day to lead a discussion with a panel in the field of mental health. and you can hear the full programme at 12:1l5pm tomorrow on radio 1, 1xtra and asian network. the damage caused by plastics which get into waterways and the sea is well documented. the latest evidence shows that seals are increasingly under threat, especially from fishing nets which contain plastics that are difficult to recycle. but for the first time in the uk, they're now being recycled, as our environment correspondent jonah fisher found out. our seas are filling up with plastic. much of it are the bottles and bags that we throw away every day. but about 10% comes from the fishing industry, and the problem with abandoned nets is that they keep catching things. on the cornish coast,

that means seals. basically, seals are very curious creatures, and they will come up and look at the lost fishing gear. it is the most exciting thing they have seen all day and they will play with it. so how does all that fishing gear get there? well, some of it is lost but for years, the fisherman's dirty secret was that the easiest way of getting rid of an old net was to dump it at sea. at brixham harbour, we're told that things have changed. so if you imagine, everybody was dumping their nets, after 6—12 months, you can imagine what would be out there. now nobody is doing it and now we are trawling it all up. it is a massive difference, we are doing. see if it's ok. for the last few years, keep britain tidy has been running a scheme has been which takes away the fishermen's old nets once they have been brought to shore. part of the reason why recycling fishing nets is so complicated is because they are made up of all sorts of different materials. there's metal in here. there's different sorts of plastic.

and that all has to be sorted out, and that is what neil is doing here, before the plastic parts, the recyclable bits,