The Ukrainian military reported on Wednesday that they were targeted by Russia with 20 drones and three ballistic missiles in various areas overnight.

The air force of Ukraine reported that their air defense systems successfully took down 14 drones over the regions of Mykolaiv, Zaporizhzhia, Dnipropetrovsk, and Kharkiv.

On Tuesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported that Russia has deployed 600 military drones and fired over 330 missiles at Ukraine since the beginning of the year.

Zelenskyy once again emphasized the importance of Ukraine having a sufficient “air shield” to safeguard the nation.

According to him, it is important to secure Ukraine’s control over its airspace, as it is crucial for overall security on the ground, including frontline areas and facilities such as hospitals and schools.

According to a recent evaluation by U.S. intelligence head William Burns, refusing to provide Ukraine with additional aid due to a delay in the U.S. Congress would be a grave mistake for the United States. This support is crucial in the country’s ongoing conflict with Russia, and abandoning it would have significant consequences.

The decision to provide $60 billion in additional assistance to Ukraine by Congress is now tied to a bill that aims to strengthen immigration regulations at the US-Mexico border. However, the specifics of this immigration law are still being negotiated and the entire legislation has become entangled in the political landscape of the 2024 presidential race, creating uncertainty around the fate of further aid for Ukraine.

However, in a recent essay for Foreign Affairs magazine, Burns stated that providing continued armament support to Ukraine would enhance their bargaining power in potential negotiations aimed at resolving the ongoing conflict.

The director of the Central Intelligence Agency stated that this provides an opportunity to secure a lasting victory for Ukraine and a significant defeat for Russia.

According to him, investing in it is a relatively small expense compared to the U.S. defense budget, but it has significant geopolitical benefits.

He described Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 as “Putin’s mistake.”

According to Burns, approximately 315,000 Russian soldiers have been either killed or injured, with two-thirds of their prewar tanks destroyed. Additionally, Putin’s highly praised military modernization program has been significantly weakened.

However, Burns stated that it is improbable for Putin to withdraw from the assault on Ukraine, a neighboring country.

According to Burns, underestimating his obsession with controlling Ukraine is always a mistake. He believes that without this control, Russia cannot achieve great power and he cannot be a great leader.

Burns stated that the war is gradually weakening his influence domestically, however he remains confident that ultimately he will prevail by outlasting Ukraine and its allies.

He urged Ukraine to push further into areas controlled by Russia.

Burns stated that Ukraine’s task is to diminish Putin’s pride and show Russia the significant consequences it will face. This can be achieved not only by making advancements on the battlefield, but also by initiating more impactful attacks beyond it.

The information used in this report was sourced from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse, and Reuters.

Source: voanews.com