Ukraine’s air force reported on Thursday that it successfully intercepted 21 out of 22 Shahed drones deployed by Russia in an overnight assault.
The drones were downed over six regions in northern and central Ukraine, according to the air force.
The governor of the northern Chernihiv region reported that one drone hit a facility in the area, but did not provide further details. He noted that over 5,000 residents were still without power as of Thursday morning.
The regional governor of Dnipropetrovsk confirmed that air defenses shot down two drones in his region.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has faced challenges in convincing member states to commit to a multi-year financial support package for Ukraine, according to information obtained by the German Press Agency (DPA) on Wednesday.
Ahead of the NATO leaders’ summit in Washington, allies have pledged to support Ukraine with €40 billion ($43 billion) for the coming year.
However, there has been no agreement on how to share the financial burden among member states.
Some NATO members vaguely indicated that the GDP of each country’s economy should play a role in determining the level of support for Ukraine.
In a June meeting with NATO defense ministers, Stoltenberg urged allies to agree on a plan to maintain the current level of support for Ukraine over the long term, which he estimated at €40 billion annually.
The burden would be distributed based on the GDP of the member states, with the United States contributing 50% of the total.
As the summit approaches, it remains to be seen how NATO will address these financial commitments and ensure sustained support for Ukraine amid ongoing geopolitical tensions.
