NATO members provided more than 98% of the combat vehicles committed to Ukraine during its conflict with Russia, the military alliance's head said on April 27, giving Kyiv more punch as it prepares to launch a counteroffensive.
According to NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, member states have given Ukraine "vast amounts of ammunition," as well as training and equipping over nine new Ukrainian brigades, more than 1,550 armored vehicles, 230 tanks, and other tools.About 30,000 men should be in each of the new brigades.
According to Stoltenberg, this puts Ukraine in a solid position to continue retaking occupied territory. His comments came a day after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he and Chinese President Xi Jinping had a long and significant phone conversation, their first known contact since Russia's full-fledged invasion of Ukraine a year ago. Mr. Zelenskyy was encouraged by Mr. Xi's call on Wednesday (April 26), and Western diplomats hailed Mr. Xi's decision, but it did not appear to result in an immediate shift in peace prospects.
Russia and Ukraine disagree greatly on matters of peace, and Beijing has chosen not to denounce Moscow's invasion despite its attempts to become a major diplomatic force on the international stage. The Chinese government views Russia as a diplomatic ally in the fight against US influence in world affairs, and Mr. Xi recently visited Moscow.
According to Mr. Stoltenberg, the 31 NATO countries are dedicated to strengthening Ukraine's armed capabilities. He also noted that regaining territory seized by Russian forces would offer Kyiv a stronger negotiating position in the event that peace negotiations take place. Following the call between Mr. Xi and Mr. Zelenskyy, the Kremlin responded with muted enthusiasm.
Russian forces have continued their bombardment of Ukrainian areas, frequently striking apartment buildings and other civilian infrastructure, despite the combat lines in Ukraine remaining relatively unchanged as a war of attrition took hold in recent months.
On April 27, the Ukrainian Presidential Office reported that between April 26 and April 27, at least seven civilians were killed and 33 were injured.Four Kalibr cruise missiles struck the southern city of Mykolaiv, killing one person and injuring 23, including a toddler, according to officials.22 multi-story buildings, 12 individual homes, and other residential structures were damaged in the attack, according to Vitalii Kim, the governor of Mykolaiv province.According to Ukraine's Operational Command South, the Kalibr missiles that hit Mykolaiv were launched from somewhere in the Black Sea. Kalibr missiles are fired from submarines or ships.
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