Russia Reports New Ukrainian Aerial Attacks

Russian officials reported Ukrainian aerial attacks on two regions Tuesday, as the Kremlin said it would act to counter an increase in Ukrainian shelling on the Russian border city of Belgorod.

Vyacheslav Gladkov, the head of the Belgorod region, reported three people were injured by debris Tuesday after Russian air defenses downed Ukrainian weapons that were approaching the city.

Gladkov said houses and cars were damaged in several villages.

The attacks came a day after Russian air defenses downed 10 air targets approaching Belgorod.

The area has come under Ukrainian attacks in recent weeks, including a missile and drone attack late last month that killed 25 civilians, including five children.

In the Oryol region of western Russia, regional governor Andrei Klychkov said on Telegram that two Ukrainian drones hit a fuel facility Tuesday in Oryol city, causing a fire that was later contained. Oryol is about 220 kilometers from the Ukrainian border.

White House meeting on Ukraine aid

Separately, White House officials met Monday with leaders from the technology and defense industry sectors to discuss how to give Ukraine cutting-edge U.S. equipment such as unmanned aerial systems or demining gear and support its bid to defend itself from Russia, according to National Security Council aides.

Jake Sullivan, White House national security adviser, convened the five-hour meeting between industry experts and government officials on new technological capabilities that would allow Ukraine to detect and counter Russian unmanned aerial systems and demine large areas in Ukraine as President Joe Biden’s more than $100 billion supplemental aid package, which includes support for Ukraine, languishes in Congress.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz urged European Union countries on Monday to offer more military and financial assistance to Ukraine. He criticized EU member states for not delivering sufficient weapons to Kyiv and called on them to do more.

Although Germany lagged in its support to Ukraine at the beginning of the war, it is now one of the top providers of weapons and financial aid. Late last year, the country agreed to double its military aid for Ukraine in 2024 to $8.8 billion.

“As significant as the German contribution is, it will not be enough to ensure Ukraine’s security in the long run,” Scholz said at a news conference in Berlin.

Western officials and analysts had warned that Russia was stockpiling its cruise missiles to target mainly Ukraine’s defense industry this winter, as opposed to the country’s infrastructure last winter. But so far, Russian strikes have frequently hit civilian areas.

Some material for this report came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters.