Ukraine said on Tuesday that it had been targeted overnight by a record attack by Russian drones, in the midst of an escalation of the war and threats from Vladimir Putin, after its use of a missile capable of carrying a nuclear charge and striking anywhere in the country. Europe.
In this very tense context, the ambassadors of NATO and Ukraine are meeting in Brussels on Tuesday. If kyiv said it expected “concrete” decisions from this meeting, Alliance diplomats were more cautious.
Ukraine announced that it had been the target of a Russian attack overnight with a record number of 188 combat drones which, according to kyiv, damaged residential buildings and “essential infrastructure”, without causing any casualties. Four Iskander-M ballistic missiles were also fired, according to the Ukrainian Air Force.
Moscow and kyiv have stepped up their drone and missile attacks in recent weeks, with Ukraine recently firing long-range Western ATACMS and Storm Shadow missiles at Russia, which has continued to pound its territory since its invasion began. neighbor almost three years ago.
Moscow for its part struck Ukraine on Thursday with a latest generation ballistic missile capable of carrying a nuclear charge and Mr. Putin also threatened to strike Europe and the United States.
Ukraine has already indicated that it will not give in to these demands, but has not said whether it has reused its ATACMS, particularly in the Russian region of Kursk, which has been partially occupied by Ukrainian forces since August. The Kremlin refused to comment, while once again making the United States responsible for the ongoing “escalation”.
– Critical infrastructure affected –
During the night from Monday to Tuesday, “essential infrastructure sites were hit” and “in several regions, houses and residential buildings were damaged,” said the Ukrainian Air Force without giving further details. .
Russia has been waging a campaign targeting Ukrainian energy sites for months, plunging millions of Ukrainians into darkness, a tactic described in kyiv as intended to terrorize the civilian population.
At dawn on Tuesday, air defense managed to shoot down 76 drones in 17 Ukrainian regions and another 95 aircraft probably fell due to electronic jamming by the Ukrainian army, according to the Air Force.
In kyiv, AFP journalists heard explosions during the air alert which lasted more than five hours. According to the military administration, “more than 10 Russian drones” targeting the city were destroyed.
Later in the day, the Ukrainian ambassador to NATO is due to meet her Alliance counterparts in Brussels at the request of kyiv, a meeting following the firing of the Russian experimental missile.
Ukraine has asked its Western allies to provide it with new, latest-generation air defense systems, although Moscow has assured that these missiles, called “Orechnik” (“Hazel” in Russian), are impossible to intercept.
– NATO-Ukraine meeting –
Russia, for its part, promised to increase this type of attacks if kyiv continued to use Western missiles on Russian territory. Vladimir Putin also threatened to strike the countries supplying these weapons to the Ukrainians.
Western ambassadors are expected to reaffirm their support for kyiv.
The Kremlin, via spokesperson Dmitri Peskov, brushed aside the scope of the meeting: “It is unlikely that important decisions will be taken at the ambassadorial level.”
This renewed tension comes at a time when Europeans and kyiv fear an end to American military support for Ukraine with the return of Donald Trump to the White House, and the conclusion of an agreement to the detriment of Ukraine.
And the intensification of Russian attacks appears to be an attempt by Moscow to strengthen its position before possible negotiations. Russia also received reinforcements from thousands of North Korean soldiers who should, according to Washington, fight Ukrainian forces “soon”.
Military aid from Washington is crucial for Ukraine, whose exhausted army has been retreating for months against Russian troops, who are more numerous and better armed.
On Tuesday, Russia claimed the capture of a new village, this time in the Kharkiv region (north-east).
