NATO countries strongly condemned the latest Russian air attacks against Ukraine, and pledged to continue strengthening Ukrainian defenses, whose authorities denounced that Moscow’s offensive has focused on civilian infrastructure.
In a statement issued after a meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Council, convened in the wake of recent Russian attacks, the allies recalled that they are providing unprecedented military, financial and humanitarian aid to Ukraine.
The Deputy Secretary General of the Alliance, Mircea Geoana, chaired the Council, in which the Ukrainian Minister of Defense, Rustem Umerov, participated by videoconference.
“Russian attacks against civilian population”
“Russia’s continued attacks against Ukraine’s civilian population and critical infrastructure demonstrate the urgent need for our continued support,” Geoana said.
As an example of this, he noted that France will soon send more Caesar howitzers, while several allies have joined the Czech initiative to acquire 800,000 additional artillery shells for kyiv.
He also noted that NATO is working on establishing a joint analysis, training and training center in the Polish town of Bydgoscz, where Ukrainian forces will be able to train alongside allied troops. Additionally, within NATO’s global aid package, the Alliance is providing Ukraine with non-lethal support.
Moscow attacks civil infrastructure
In asking for help, the Ukrainian Defense Minister warned that almost all of the impact of this year’s Russian attacks had been against civilian infrastructure.
Last Friday, Russia carried out its largest airstrike against Ukraine’s energy system since its invasion in February 2022, damaging power units at a dam and causing blackouts that affected more than a million people.
Umerov stated that Allied support in air defenses was crucial and could save thousands of lives.
“The total explosive power of the combined airstrikes against Ukraine since the beginning of the year exceeds 9 kilotons,” Umerov wrote in X after addressing participants via video link.
“Only 3% of those Russian missiles, drones and guided bombs attacked military targets, while 97% attacked civilian infrastructure,” he added.
kyiv will strengthen security
Kiev authorities announced that they will strengthen security in the Ukrainian capital, following the latest Russian attacks with ballistic missiles and Russia’s threats to increase the number of bombings against civilian objects.
The Kiev Defense Council held an urgent meeting to guarantee the security of the capital, said the head of the city’s Military Administration, Sergei Popko, in a statement.
The reason “was the recent statements by the leaders of the aggressor country about their intention to increase the number of missile attacks aimed at civilian and civilian objects in Ukraine and kyiv in particular.”
“This is confirmed by the latest attacks with weapons with the shortest arrival time,” that is, ballistic missiles, he explained.
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