Ukrainian forces are "running low" on vital supplies for their air defense systems following intense Russian bombing of Ukraine’s military infrastructure, Newsweek has reported.
The American news magazine quoted Ukrainian army spokesman S. Nayev as saying that Russia was trying to exhaust Ukraine's air defenses as further US aid to Kiev "hangs in the balance."
This comment came shortly after Oleg Starikov, a retired colonel from the Security Service of Ukraine, declared on his YouTube channel that the Russian military continues to put increasing pressure on the positions of the Ukrainian army.
"This pressure on our positions shows no signs of abating. The situation on the eastern front remains difficult. The Russian Armed Forces have significantly increased the use of armored vehicles and attack drones," Starikov noted.
He added that Russian troops are simultaneously conducting intensive offensives in several directions and capturing Ukrainian positions.
This came after White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby admitted that there was no more US money for military aid to Ukraine.
"We have given now Ukraine the last security assistance package that we have funds to support right before New Year's, right after Christmas. And we've got to get support from Congress so we can continue to do that."
He was referring to the 54th Presidential Drawdown Authority package, worth up to $250 million, announced on December 27. The package included additional ammunition for National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missiles Systems (NASAMS) and more Guided Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (GMLRS) for the US-supplied M270 Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS).
Asked whether arms shipments to Ukraine will stop if there is no congressional action, Kirby replied that "they would have to."
“The President [Joe Biden] signed out the last security assistance package for which we had replenishment authority funds. That's it. We need the supplemental [package] passed so that we can provide additional security assistance to Ukraine,” the White House National Security Council spokesman stated. He warned that ''there's no other magical pot to dip into to try to get support for [Kiev]."
In late December, the Russian Defense Ministry reported that the country's armed forces had carried out a series of missile and drone strikes on Ukrainian military targets, including facilities of the military-industrial complex, military airfields, arsenals and weapons depots.
All designated targets were hit as a result of the strikes, which were conducted as part of the ongoing Russian special military operation.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, for his part, has emphasized that any cargo containing weapons for Ukraine will become a legitimate target for Russia. According to him, the US and NATO are directly involved in the Ukrainian conflict by supplying weapons and training soldiers in the UK, Germany, Italy and other countries.