The Ukrainian military announced new drone attacks by Russia on Tuesday, as calls for additional sanctions against Russia intensified after the death of incarcerated opposition leader Alexey Navalny.

The air force of Ukraine reported that their air defense systems successfully eliminated all 23 Russian drones. These interceptions took place in various areas of Ukraine, such as Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Kherson, and Mykolaiv.

The attack by Russia also involved four missiles that were guided. There have been no immediate reports of any harm or casualties.

On Tuesday, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal called on Japan and the European Union to implement fresh sanctions against Russia.

On Monday, EU foreign policy leader Josep Borrell stated that Russian President Vladimir Putin will face consequences for the death of Navalny.

On Monday, President Joe Biden of the United States announced that his administration is contemplating imposing further sanctions on Russia. He held Russian President Vladimir Putin and his “thugs” accountable for the death of Alexei Navalny, who passed away last week.

Biden informed reporters at the White House that there are existing sanctions in place, but they are also contemplating implementing further sanctions.

The passing of Navalny coincides with Biden’s difficulties in getting a $95 billion proposal for global security aid to Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan approved by Congress, despite facing resistance from many Republican politicians.

The Democratic-controlled Senate passed the spending package with support from both parties. However, House Speaker Mike Johnson, who leads the narrow Republican majority in the House of Representatives, has refused to bring the measure to a vote on the House floor. This is partly due to opposition from former President Donald Trump to the new aid.

Johnson expressed concern about the lack of new measures in the foreign aid package to prevent the large number of illegal immigrants entering the United States from Mexico. However, Senate Republicans, under Trump’s direction, prevented the discussion of a bipartisan plan to strengthen immigration regulations.

Johnson has been requesting a meeting with Biden to discuss the issue. The president, who is in favor of providing more aid to Ukraine, stated on Monday that he is open to meeting with the House speaker.

Biden informed reporters on Monday at the White House’s South Lawn that he would gladly meet with him if he has anything to share.

Simultaneously, Biden criticized Republican legislators for failing to provide ongoing funding for Ukraine’s two-year effort to protect itself from Russia’s invasion.

Biden remarked that he had never witnessed anything quite like the way they were turning their backs on the danger from Russia and their commitments to NATO.

According to a representative for Johnson, the speaker has been attempting to arrange a meeting with Biden for several weeks. Raj Shah expressed appreciation for Biden’s willingness to meet with Speaker Johnson to discuss the most effective approach for safeguarding the country, stating that it was a long-awaited meeting.

Ukrainian Prime Minister Shmyhal stated on Tuesday that although Ukraine’s military has received assistance from the United States and Europe, it requires additional long-range missiles to enhance its air defense capabilities against potential Russian aggression.

“Regrettably, they currently dominate in the air, resulting in some consequences on the frontline,” stated Shmyhal.

On Monday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed concern that Russia is taking advantage of the delay in providing military assistance to Ukraine.

“He stated that there is currently a challenging predicament occurring in multiple areas of the frontline, specifically where Russian soldiers have gathered their strongest forces.”

After a visit to the front line near Kupiansk, Ukrainian President Zelenskyy expressed concerns about exploiting delays in aid to Ukraine, emphasizing the sensitivity of the issue.

On Tuesday, Russian news sources stated that a woman with citizenship in both the U.S. and Russia was detained in Yekaterinburg on accusations of providing monetary aid to Ukraine.

According to the TASS news agency, the FSB in Yekaterinburg thwarted the unlawful actions of a 33-year-old individual from Los Angeles who holds both Russian and American citizenship.

The U.S. Embassy in Moscow confirmed that it has been informed of the reports, but chose not to provide any additional commentary on the matter.

The sources for this report included The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse, and Reuters.

Source: voanews.com