Nato countries to boost Ukraine’s missile defence after massive Russian strikes

BBC News:

Ukraine’s Nato-led allies have announced deliveries of advanced air defence weapons to Kyiv, after a spate of Russian missile strikes.

The weaponry promised by the UK, Canada, France and the Netherlands includes missiles and radars. The US earlier made a similar pledge. One high-tech system from Germany is already in Ukraine.

The pledges come as Ukraine’s allies from 50 countries meet at Nato headquarters in Brussels.

Kyiv hailed the summit as “historic”.

Ukraine says Russia fired more than 100 missiles and used dozens of drones on Monday and Tuesday, hitting energy infrastructure and other non-military targets.

At least 19 people were killed on the first day of the strikes.

They also resulted in widespread power cuts and water supply disruption in a number of Ukrainian cities. The authorities in the capital Kyiv had to resort to electricity rationing.

Russian President Vladimir Putin says the missile strikes were retaliation for an attack on a key bridge linking Russia and Crimea – Ukraine’s southern peninsula annexed by Moscow in 2014.

Russia says Saturday’s blast was organised by Ukraine’s intelligence agency – a claim rubbished by Kyiv.