Ukrainian authorities reported that Russia initiated a series of missile attacks on Tuesday, resulting in the deaths of at least seven individuals and injuries to over 60 others. The attacks also caused extensive damage to multiple residential structures in Kyiv and Kharkiv.

The Ukrainian air force has reported that they successfully intercepted and destroyed 21 out of 41 missiles launched by Russia.

The majority of the attacks were aimed at Kyiv, the capital, and Kharkiv, a city located in northeastern Ukraine.

According to Kharkiv’s regional governor, Oleh Synehubov, three individuals lost their lives and 42 were injured.

The mayor of Kharkiv, Ihor Terekhov, reported that the airstrikes from Russia caused damage to 30 residential buildings.

The mayor of Kyiv, Vitali Klitschko, reported that the attacks targeted multiple districts in the city and resulted in at least 20 injuries.

In the city of Pavlohrad in the Dnipropetrovsk region, one individual was also fatally injured.

Military aid

The US is hosting a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, gathering allies to talk about backing Ukraine’s armed forces. However, President Joe Biden is facing resistance from certain Republican members of Congress regarding a proposed aid package for Ukraine.

According to Pentagon representative Sabrina Singh, the US remains dedicated to supporting Ukraine, but legislators must approve additional funding for Kyiv in its fight against Russian forces.

Singh informed reporters that our partners and allies are still carrying out their actions, even though Congress has not yet passed a supplementary funding bill.

Biden is asking for an extra $61.4 billion to support Ukraine’s military and replenish American supplies, as the country approaches two years of fighting against Russia. This request for additional funds also includes $14.3 billion for Israel and $13.6 billion for protecting the U.S. border.

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will attend the meeting virtually from his house, as the defense chief continues to recover from complications of prostate cancer treatment that led to his secret hospitalization, the Pentagon said Monday.

Lavrov speaking at the United Nations

On Monday, the United Nations Security Council in New York was attended by Sergey Lavrov, the Foreign Minister of Russia, to discuss Ukraine.

During the meeting, which was initiated by Russia, Lavrov discussed the military assistance provided by the U.S. and Europe to Ukraine, stating that it was prolonging the conflict. He did not mention the allegations made by Western countries that Moscow has been obtaining drones and missiles from Iran and North Korea.

The U.S. ambassador to the council, Robert Wood, stated that it is extremely cynical to suggest that supporting Ukraine’s right to defend itself is only making Russia’s aggressive war last longer.

Over 40 representatives, along with Ukraine’s ambassador, participated in reciting a public declaration before the meeting. The declaration denounced Russia’s hostile actions and its acquisition of weapons from both Iran and North Korea, which goes against multiple resolutions set by the United Nations Security Council.

“The actions of the Russian Federation undermine the trustworthiness of Security Council resolutions, weaken the effectiveness of the global non-proliferation system, intensify tensions in the region, and put us all in danger,” stated Ukrainian Ambassador to the United Nations Sergiy Kyslytsya on behalf of the group.

When questioned by a journalist about Ukraine’s potential for victory in the war, Kyslytsya asserted, “Not only will Ukraine emerge victorious, but so will the entire democratic world.”

In the upcoming month, it will have been two years since Russia launched a large-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Margaret Besheer, VOA’s correspondent at the U.N., contributed to this report. The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse, and Reuters also provided some material for this report.

Source: voanews.com