The G7 countries have pledged to provide more assistance for Ukraine, including bolstering its air defense capabilities as Russian strikes continue across the country. Kyiv has also called for help in acquiring natural gas in order to address the energy crisis in the country.
The G7 countries on Monday pledged to assist Ukraine in meeting its “urgent requirements” following an appeal by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to the group in its virtual conference for more modern tanks, artillery, and long-range weapons to counter Russia’s continued strikes. Zelenskyy also called on the G7 to help Ukraine acquire an additional two billion cubic liters of natural gas to address the country’s energy shortage following the Russian strikes on its energy infrastructure.
In a separate meeting, the foreign ministers of the European Union on the same day agreed to provide an additional $2.1 billion in a fund to pay for military assistance to Ukraine. More funds are expected to be provided in a later stage.
British defense minister Ben Wallace said that he was “open-minded” to supplying Ukraine with longer-range missiles to target launch sites for Russian drones that hit infrastructure if Moscow continues to target civilians.
The Ukrainian Black Sea port city of Odesa also resumed operations that were suspended following Russia’s use of Iranian-made drones to hit two energy facilities. National grid operator Ukrenergo said power is slowly being restored to around 1.5 million people as the situation on the ground is still difficult.
The British defense ministry on Wednesday issued its intelligence bulletin on the nearly 10-month-old war. The ministry said that last week, Russian nationalist and former Russian military intelligence officer Igor Girkin claimed to have spent two months among the so-called Donetsk People’s Republic Battalion on the front lines in the separatist-held area.
Girkin said his experiences amongst the separatist group found a “crisis of strategic planning” in Russia’s war. Girkin also reportedly criticized the Russian military’s focus on “constructing extensive, positional defensive works, questioning their utility in modern warfare.” The former officer’s comments underline the ongoing debate amongst the security community in Russia about the war, according to the ministry.
The ministry added that the rumors surrounding the dismissal of Russian Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov have yet to be confirmed, noting that internal tensions likely extend to the very top of “Russia’s military hierarchy.”