Further than 40 Ukrainian cities and towns were hit by Russian missiles, according to officials, as NATO allies gathering in Brussels outlined measures to strengthen Europe’s air defences after pledging more military assistance to Kyiv. Moscow’s renewed warnings that Western nations’ assistance rendered them “a direct party to the conflict” and that NATO membership for Ukraine may start a third world war were triggered by the fresh pledges.As the United States promised to protect “every inch” of alliance territory on Thursday, deputy secretary of Russia’s Security Council Alexander Venediktov said, “Kyiv is well aware that such an action would imply a guaranteed escalation to a World War Three.” Moscow has frequently argued that Ukraine’s aspirations to join the alliance represented a threat to Russia’s security in order to justify the invasion on February 24 that resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands of people in what it called a “special operation.” It is unlikely that NATO will rapidly permit Ukraine to join, not least because doing so would put the United States and its allies in direct conflict with Russia while a war is still in progress.Russian missiles struck more than 40 settlements in the last day, while the Ukrainian air force launched 32 attacks on 25 Russian targets, according to the general staff of Ukraine’s armed forces. Mykolaiv was heavily bombarded, according to local authorities. Regional governor Vitaly Kim said, “It is known that a lot of civilian objects were hit. According to officials, Iranian-made kamikaze drones early on Thursday morning targeted the Ukrainian capital region. It wasn’t yet known whether there had been any casualties.
NATO has nuclear negotiations
The military alliance is moving forward with plans to conduct a nuclear exercise next week as worries grow over President Vladimir Putin’s insistence that he will use any means necessary to defend Russian territory. On Thursday, the NATO Nuclear Planning Group met in secret. According to NATO diplomats, Russia is also scheduled to hold its own nuclear exercises soon, possibly concurrently with NATO’s or shortly after. This adds to the uncertainty.
India refuses to cast a ballot.
India chose not to vote in favour of a draught resolution at the UN General Assembly that denounced Russia’s “illegal so-called referendums” and annexation of the Ukrainian provinces of Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk, and Zaporizhzhia.
