Russia fired cruise and ballistic missiles and Shahed-type drones on several regions of Ukraine on Wednesday, while Josep Borrell was in Ukraine to assure Kyiv of the support of the European Union.
Russian attacks on Ukraine have hit at least three major cities, including the capital Kyiv, where the European Union’s top diplomat, Josep Borrell, was discussing military aid and financial support for Ukraine . He started his day in an air raid shelter, a “daily reality” in Ukraine after almost two years of war.
Josep Borrell visited a drone production factory in Ukraine where, he said, 1,500 small drones are produced daily. The High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy promised the delivery of more than a million artillery shells to Kyiv by the end of the year.
Faced with ammunition and personnel shortages, Ukraine desperately needs Western aid. United States funding remains blocked for the time being, while Latest efforts to reach Ukraine aid deal in US Senate failed Tuesday.
Although the roughly 1,500-kilometer front line has barely moved in recent months, Kremlin forces have the advantage in stocks of missiles and artillery munitions used for long-range strikes. Russia has repeatedly used missiles to hit civilian targets during the conflict.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said last month that air defense and electronic warfare systems capable of stopping drones were Kyiv’s top priorities.
The United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine said Wednesday that civilian casualties in the war had started to rise again after falling last year. Last month, it reported 158 civilian deaths and 483 injuries, an increase of 37% compared to last November. So far, the conflict has killed more than 10,000 civilians and injured nearly 20,000 others, according to the UN.