Political

NATO condemns Russian strikes on Ukraine’s civilians and infrastructure

The Allies have strongly condemned Russia’s attacks on Ukrainian civilians and infrastructure.

The North Atlantic Alliance issued this condemnation on Wednesday, following a NATO-Ukraine Council meeting in Brussels, as reported by Agerpres and AFP.

Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg emphasised, "We must continue to provide Ukraine with the necessary equipment and ammunition to defend itself against the Russian invasion. This support is crucial for Ukraine’s ability to remain effective in the fight," he told Alliance ambassadors, according to a statement.

During the meeting, which was convened at Kiev’s request, the Allies reaffirmed their commitment to enhancing Ukraine’s defence capabilities, Stoltenberg added.

Several NATO countries have also advocated for lifting restrictions on Kiev’s use of weapons supplied by Western allies, including long-range missiles. This change would help Ukraine better defend itself against the severe Russian strikes, a diplomatic source revealed.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly called for the removal of these restrictions to enable his forces to strike deeper into Russian territory, targeting the sources of the powerful strikes that have been launched since the beginning of the week.

Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov updated the Allies on the battlefield situation via video link, NATO reported, though no further details were provided.

The Ukrainian army is encountering challenges in the East, the epicentre of the ongoing conflict, where Russian troops have been gradually advancing for several months. Moscow claims to have captured small villages but has not yet achieved significant progress.

In response, Kiev has announced new advances in the Kursk region near the Russian border and reported the capture of 594 prisoners since the start of its surprise incursion three weeks ago.

President Zelensky has also sought assistance from the air forces of European neighbours to counter the waves of Russian missiles and drones that heavily struck Ukraine earlier this week. "In various regions of Ukraine, we could do much more to protect lives if the air forces of our European neighbours collaborated with our F-16 fighter jets and air defence," he said, calling for "solutions."

On Monday, in the largest Russian attack in recent weeks, 15 Ukrainian regions were targeted by a total of 236 missiles and drones, according to Kiev, which claims to have shot down 201 of them.

Translation by Iurie Tataru

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