Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday met Representatives of the US Congress Richard Blumenthal and Jim Himes and discussed further support for Kyiv to strengthen its air defence as it faces Russian threats, reported ANI.
Zelenskyy said he had written a letter to the White House regarding Ukraine's needs for anti-ballistic missiles to safeguard the country from aerial threats.
"Today in Kyiv, Representatives of the U.S. Congress Richard Blumenthal and Jim Himes. An important visit in these difficult days following the massive attack. Grateful to the United States, the President, and the Congress for strong bipartisan support and to all Americans," Zelenskyy said in a post on X.
"We discussed further support for Ukraine, specifically in strengthening air defence. We have a significant need for anti-ballistic missiles due to constant Russian shelling. I sent a letter to the White House and the U.S. Congress regarding Ukraine's needs for such missiles. And today I also personally handed this letter to the congressmen. We are counting on timely support," he added.
Ukrainian President further said that he has informed the US Congressmen about the situation at the front, mentioning Russian losses.
He pressed that it is vital to keep sanctions pressure on Moscow as Ukraine attempts to pin the other side down.
"I informed the congressmen about the situation on the front lines, our successful long-range sanctions. Our partners clearly see that Russia is suffering enormous losses. It is important not to allow any weakening of sanctions against the Russian Federation – we talked about this. We are working with the American side on concluding the Drone Deal as well," he said.
This comes after Russia Defence Ministry issued a statement on Monday, warning that it plans to conduct a "series of systematic strikes" on defence industrial facilities in Kyiv.
They said that the planned strikes would be launched in response to a Ukrainian drone attack last week that struck a student dorm in Starobilsk in the occupied Luhansk region.
Moscow has, meanwhile, increased its attacks on Ukraine since the Luhansk attack. Ukraine's military has denied responsibility for the strike on the student dorm, saying it had struck an elite drone command unit.
Russia used 30 ballistic missiles against Ukraine in a massive strike on Sunday, and only 11 of them were shot down, according to Ukraine's air force.
Moscow has stepped up its attacks on Ukraine following the Luhansk strike. Ukraine's military has denied involvement in the attack on the student dormitory, stating instead that it targeted an elite drone command unit. Separately, Ukraine's air force reported that Russia launched 30 ballistic missiles in a major assault on Sunday, of which only 11 were intercepted, Al Jazeera reported.
Meanwhile, Russian lawmakers have passed a bill allowing trained bank employees to shoot down Ukrainian drones amid a rise in aerial attacks on Russian territory, reported ANI, quoting TASS news agency.
The draft legislation, which also mandates banks to install electronic jamming systems, cleared its third and final reading in the lower house of the State Duma on Tuesday.
The measure would permit selected bank staff to intercept unmanned aerial vehicles, while banks would be required to fund and install the necessary equipment on their premises.
The bill comes amid the ongoing war following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, with Kyiv increasingly carrying out drone strikes targeting Russian infrastructure, including energy facilities around Moscow, Al Jazeera reported.
The legislation states it is aimed at protecting Bank of Russia facilities, including those in the four eastern Ukrainian regions that Moscow claims to have annexed, despite not exercising full control over them.
Under the proposal, financial institutions, including state-backed banks such as Sberbank, would be responsible for deploying anti-drone systems, while selected employees would be trained to use jamming and interception measures.
The draft, first introduced last August and later expanded, still requires approval from the upper house Federation Council and final assent from President Vladimir Putin before it becomes law, Al Jazeera reported.
Russian authorities have increasingly urged businesses to support defensive measures as Ukraine's long-range drone attacks grow in scale and sophistication.
However, the proposal has raised questions over implementation, particularly regarding training requirements and operational readiness of bank staff in handling aerial threats.
Speaking to Russian media outlet RBK, Anatoly Aksakov, chairman of the State Duma Committee on Financial Markets, said jamming systems would be used to disrupt drone targeting, while interception measures would also be deployed to protect key facilities.
- Russia
- Attacks
- Ukraine
Source: www.dailyfinland.fi
