Ukrainian Air Forces announced early Monday that Russia launched five missiles and 12 drones loaded with munitions towards Ukraine in an attack carried out the night before, along with reports from officials about artillery shelling and airstrikes. The air forces stated that the missiles, two of which were intercepted, targeted northern and eastern regions, while the drones, 11 of which were shot down, were launched in multiple directions with a specific focus on western Ukraine.
Philipp Brunin, the governor of the eastern Poltava region, reported that the area was attacked by drones and missiles, leading to the hospitalization of three civilians. He wrote on the Telegram messaging app, "Fortunately, no civilian or critical infrastructure was hit. However, debris from the missiles caused damage to several private homes." Meanwhile, the governor of the Zaporizhia region stated that Russia also carried out artillery shelling and airstrikes on the area, resulting in damage to several residential buildings and infrastructure, and injuring an elderly woman.
Russia announced that its forces succeeded in advancing at the eastern front surrounding "Bakhmut" and the Russian Defense Ministry stated that two Ukrainian fighter jets were shot down in the past 24 hours, in addition to the death of 700 Ukrainian soldiers.
In parallel with the Russian military escalation, U.S. President Joe Biden stated that the United States can "take care" of the war in Israel and Ukraine while simultaneously maintaining its "global defense." In this context, White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan remarked that "a new weapons package for Israel and Ukraine will exceed $2 billion."
U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen also expressed confidence on Monday that the U.S. Congress "will approve additional support for Ukraine facing the Russian invasion, despite opposition from some Republican lawmakers." Yellen told reporters after a meeting with Eurozone finance ministers, "President Joe Biden will request supplemental funding for both Ukraine and Israel when the House of Representatives is able to convene." She added, "We cannot allow Ukraine to lose the war for economic reasons when it has demonstrated its ability to succeed on the battlefield."
On the other hand, Russian President Vladimir Putin rejected Western hints suggesting that the United States is preparing for a simultaneous war against both Russia and China, claiming that "only the insane think of waging war with two nuclear superpowers."
Amid the ongoing war in Ukraine and Gaza, as well as intense conflicts in various regions between global powers, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov arrived in Beijing. The Russian Foreign Ministry reported on Monday that Lavrov discussed the escalating conflict in the Middle East with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. The ministry stated, "There was a comprehensive exchange of views regarding a wide range of international and regional issues, including the rapidly deteriorating situation in the Middle East." It also added that Lavrov and Wang Yi discussed the military conflict in Ukraine and efforts to resolve it through "political and diplomatic means."
