KYIV, Ukraine — New NATO Secretary-Common Mark Rutte visited Ukraine on Thursday in his first official journey since taking workplace and pledging continued help for Kyiv in its struggle with Russia.
Rutte met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv as air raid sirens twice went off within the Ukrainian capital.
The brand new head of NATO vowed when he took workplace Tuesday to assist shore up Western help for Ukraine, which has been preventing Russia’s full-scale invasion since February 2022 and has not too long ago been on the defensive because of a relentless Russian military push in jap areas.
Rutte expressed confidence that he can work with whomever is elected president of america, the alliance’s strongest member, in November. That could possibly be a key second for Ukraine’s effort to make sure persevering with Western help.
Zelenskyy stated he mentioned with Rutte components of Ukraine’s so-called victory plan, forward of a NATO assembly on the Ramstein air base in Germany subsequent week.
The 2 additionally mentioned the battlefield scenario and the particular wants of Ukrainian navy items. Zelenskyy reiterated that Ukraine wants extra weapons, together with long-range weapons.
Rutte reiterated the alliance’s unwavering help for Ukraine, saying “Ukraine is nearer to NATO than ever earlier than.”
When requested in regards to the prospects for NATO membership for Ukraine, Rutte stated current steps taken by NATO collectively “construct a bridge to NATO membership,” together with 40 billion euros ($44 billion) of funding help, bilateral safety agreements between allies, and the formation of a brand new NATO command to coordinate help and coaching.
Rutte arrived after a Russian glide bomb struck a five-story house block in Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest metropolis, injuring at the least 12 folks together with a 3-year-old woman, native officers stated Thursday.
The bomb hit between the third and fourth flooring of the constructing on Wednesday night time, igniting blazes, Kharkiv regional Gov. Oleh Syniehubov stated. Firefighters looked for survivors via smoke and rubble.
Town of Kharkiv, positioned round 30 kilometers (18 miles) from the Russian border, has been a frequent goal of aerial assaults all through the struggle in opposition to Russia that’s now deep into its third yr.
Glide bombs have grow to be an more and more frequent weapon within the struggle. They’ve terrorized civilians and bludgeoned the Ukrainian military’s front-line defenses.
They have been a key weapon in Russia’s seize of the tactically important city of Vuhledar on Wednesday, as Russian forces wreak destruction on the jap Donetsk area and pressure weary Ukrainian troops to withdraw from obliterated cities and villages.
Ukraine has no efficient countermeasure for glide bombs, that are launched from Russian plane inside Russia.
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated the newest Kharkiv assault highlighted the pressing want for elevated help from Ukraine’s Western allies.
Zelensky not too long ago held talks with officers in america in an effort to make sure additional Western navy help.
Russia has had the battlefield initiative since late final yr, when a Ukrainian counteroffensive petered out. Ukraine is grappling with a vital manpower downside on the entrance line and is straining to carry again Russia’s grinding assaults.
Although Russia’s battlefield good points have been incremental, its regular ahead motion is including up because the Ukrainians are pushed backward and yield floor.
Each side have stored up common cross-border aerial assaults, normally at night time.
Ukraine’s air pressure stated Thursday that 78 out of 105 Shahed drones launched by Russia in a single day have been destroyed on Thursday as 15 areas of the nation got here underneath assault.
The Russian navy, in the meantime, intercepted 113 Ukrainian drones in a single day, in keeping with a press release by the Protection Ministry in Moscow. The drones have been destroyed over 4 Russian areas on the border with Ukraine —Belgorod, Bryansk, Kursk and Voronezh, it stated.
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Observe AP’s protection of the struggle in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
