Russia’s defence ministry on Sunday claimed that it had struck at weapons which were supplied to Ukraine by the United States and European countries and also destroyed a runway at a military airfield near the Ukrainian city of Odessa.
The ministry narrated that it used high-precision Onyx missiles to strike the airfield, after Ukraine accused Russia of knocking out a newly-constructed runway at the main airport of Odessa last week.
The regional of Governor Odessa, Maksym Marchenko also claimed that Russia had used a Bastion missile, launched from Crimea.
Reuters could not immediately verify the reports.
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Russia’s defence ministry also said its air defence systems had shot down two Ukrainian Su-24m bombers over the Kharkiv region overnight.
Meanwhile, US Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi voiced support for Ukraine’s ‘fight for freedom’ at a meeting with President Volodymyr Zelensky on a visit to Kyiv.
‘We believe that we are visiting you to say thank you for your fight for freedom… Our commitment is to be there for you until the fight is done,’ Pelosi told Zelenskyy, according to a video released by the Ukrainian presidency.
Zelensky tweeted: ‘Thank you to the United States for helping protect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of our state’.
‘The US is leading strong support for Ukraine in its fight against Russian aggression,’ he said.
The trip by a Congressional delegation had not been previously announced.
‘Our delegation proudly delivered the message that additional American support is on the way, as we work to transform President Biden’s strong funding request into a legislative package,’ Pelosi’s office said in a statement.
US President Joe Biden last week proposed a huge $33-billion (31-billion euro) package for arming and supporting Ukraine.
Biden also outlined proposed new laws to allow using luxury assets stripped from Russian oligarchs to compensate Ukraine for the destruction wreaked by the invading Russians.
Africa Daily News, New York
