Russia’s intensifying missiles strikes on Ukraine’s cities are a grim reminder how key Western support is

With critical military supplies from Ukraine’s most important ally, America, in danger of drying up, Russia is stretching Ukraine’s air defences to the limit with an intensified onslaught using drones and ballistic missiles.

More than 50 people, including six children, were injured after Russia launched 10 ballistic missiles at the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, early on Wednesday.

Ballistic missiles are more difficult to detect than other types like cruise missiles or drones, whose entire journey is powered by engines. The important difference in ballistic missiles is that the last stage of their trajectory is unpowered giving less warning where they will land.

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said: “Russia has proven once again that it is a heinous country that fires missiles at night, trying to hit residential areas, kindergartens, and energy facilities during the winter.”

Kyiv’s mayor, Vitali Klitschko, said all the missiles were downed by Ukrainian air defences. However, debris from the missiles showered down on residential areas of the capital causing injuries. Two children were among 18 seriously injured taken to hospital, Klitschko said.

An adviser to Zelensky’s administration, Mykhailo Podolyak, said: “Ballistic [missiles] are used precisely because people have no chance to hide in bomb shelters.”

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While air attacks all over Ukraine have been a near-daily feature since Vladimir Putin launched a full-blown invasion of the country in February last year, Kyiv had a spell of a few weeks with minimal air alerts, but Moscow has ramped up the launches this month.

British intelligence predicted last month that Russia had likely conserved its missile supplies to launch concerted strikes at electricity-generating infrastructure to make Ukraine’s population suffer as temperatures plummet.

The UK assessment seems to have been very accurate although the air attacks have targeted not only critical infrastructure but also civilian areas in Kyiv and cities all over the country – particularly in the south and east including Odesa, Mykolaiv, Kryvi Rih, Dnipro and Kharkiv.

America has provided several cutting-edge “Patriot” air defence systems and some of Kyiv’s Western allies, notably Germany, have also provided or promised Patriots and other sophisticated systems such as Iris-T missiles which, theoretically, can shield much of a city from Russian aerial attacks.

The US provides the lion’s share of military aid to Ukraine with air defence and artillery capabilities the priorities – critically the large quantities of sophisticated and expensive ammunition for both. Therefore, Ukraine’s ability to defend itself has been endangered by the inability of America's Congress to authorise tens of billions in fresh funding. To make matters worse, the White House has warned that previously agreed funds will run out by the end of the year.

Many more air defence systems are needed to give anywhere near full protection for Ukraine and Ukraine’s other allies will be unable to fill the gap left by a cessation of American aid.

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Congressional Republican members of both the House of Representatives and the Senate, spurred on by hardcore loyalists of Putin-admiring former president, Donald Trump, have vowed to relent only if Democratic president Joe Biden and his party agree to impose much stiffer security measures at America’s border with Mexico to stem the movement of thousands of migrants and asylum seekers.

However, quite apart from border security, the reluctance to continue funding for Ukraine has spread among broad sections of the Republicans. Some cite “aid fatigue” and argue that the US needs the funds for its own infrastructure and services. More worrying is that outright hostility towards Ukraine has increasingly become part of the litmus test for loyalty to Trump.

Trump is the favourite in the polls to become the Republican’s presidential candidate next year – an unsettling prospect for Ukrainians who fear he would cut US aid to Ukraine if he goes on to make it to the White House.

Despite a visit by Zelensky to Washington this week that the Ukrainian leader and President Biden hoped might break the impasse, prospects are bleak that an agreement can be reached before Congress adjourns for its Christmas recess, currently set for the end of the week.

Biden has warned recalcitrant Republicans they are providing a “Christmas gift” to Putin who has long predicted that Western enthusiasm to help Ukraine would eventually diminish. The blocking of US funds for Ukraine will only encourage the Russian president to continue the war until at least the outcome of the 2024 election.

Biden promised Zelensky improved air defence capability but that remains a hope rather than a sure thing until there is a bipartisan Congressional agreement. But any compromise will probably be too late to boost Ukraine’s abilities in time to dramatically reduce Russia’s attacks to wreck electricity generation facilities.

As if to underline the importance of air defences for Ukraine, Zelensky flew to Norway after leaving the US where the prime minister, Jonas Gahr Støre, promised additional assistance to boost Ukraine’s defences against Russian missile strikes.

During a press conference with the Norwegian prime minister, Zelenksy replied to a question about what would happen if aid for his country diminished significantly, saying that it would be like when Ukraine was “alone” at the start of the invasion.

“As you know, during the first days of the full-blown war [starting] on 24 February, we were really alone. It was a complicated and difficult time…. a tragic period for us and our people and you saw how it was for us. We were almost occupied. But we didn’t run anywhere and we accepted the challenge.”

Zelensky has continually pushed for more funding and weapons, but said that without even the current levels of military and other aid, Ukraine would be reduced to fighting from a dangerously disadvantageous position.

“But neither can we [allow ourselves] to be defeated,” Zelensky said, “because like you, we only have one country.”