A package of nearly $ 40 billion in additional aid to Ukraine was approved by a large majority in the House of Representatives on Tuesday as the country struggles with Russia’s brutal invasion, now in the middle of the third month. The Senate is expected to follow suit this week, raising overall U.S. military, economic and humanitarian support during the conflict to more than $ 50 billion.
A senior US intelligence official warns of a “protracted” and “potentially escalating” conflict as Russian President Vladimir Putin adjusts his goals to go beyond the conquest of the Donbass region in eastern Ukraine and consolidate control over the land bridge between Russia, Donbass and Russia. held Crimea to the south. The next month or two will be significant, National Intelligence Director Avril Haynes said during a hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Tuesday. She also predicted that Putin could retaliate against Western economic sanctions with cybersecurity attacks and nuclear weapons exercises.
On land in Ukraine, fighters hiding at a steel plant in the ruined port city of Mariupol on Tuesday called for help in evacuating their wounded as heavy Russian airstrikes and shelling continued, hitting a field hospital in the complex. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said his government had tried “every possible diplomatic tool” to rescue troops, but Russia had not agreed to any plans. The Kremlin forces are trying to “consolidate control over the ruins of Mariupol,” the Institute for War Studies, a DC think tank, said in a recent assessment, and may be trying to reopen steel plants for military equipment.
Here’s what else you need to know
- A senior US intelligence official said between eight and 10 Russian generals had been killed in fighting in Ukraine.
- The Finnish Parliament’s Defense Committee has recommended NATO membership. The country’s official decision on whether to join the alliance could come as early as this week.
- A UN envoy said on Tuesday that thousands more civilians had been killed in the conflict than confirmed figures suggest.
- The Washington Post has removed its paid wall for readers in Russia and Ukraine. Telegram users can subscribe to our channel.
Add Comment