“We cannot afford any further delays” — White House to Congress on Ukraine’s air defense needs

A spokesperson for the US National Security Council, Adrienne Watson, released a statement following Russia's night attack against the Ukrainian power grid on 29 March, which caused lengthy power outages in two more Ukrainian regions -- Donetsk and Dnipropetrovsk Oblasts, as well as the city of Kryvyi Rih.

"Russia launched one of its largest aerial assaults against Ukraine's energy grid since the war began—depriving many people across the country of heat, water, and electricity in the still cold days of early spring," Watson said. "This bombardment—part of a series of Russian attacks on Ukraine's critical infrastructure— is a terrible reminder of Vladimir Putin's efforts to break the spirit of the Ukrainian people and plunge them into darkness. To help Ukraine protect against these ongoing attacks, we need the House of Representatives to pass the bipartisan national security supplemental bill so we can send Ukraine more air defenses. Ukraine's need is urgent, and we cannot afford any further delays."

Russia escalated its air attacks against Ukraine's power grid on the morning of 22 March, hitting multiple Ukrainian hydro and thermal power plants, including the Dnipro Hydroelectric Power Plant in Zaporizhzhia.

Dnipro hydroelectric plant out of service after Russian missile attack

Read also:

• Dnipro hydroelectric plant out of service after Russian missile attack
• Ukraine’s Dnipro hydroplant restoration to take years following Russian missile attack
• Zelenskyy: The US reaction to attacks on Russian refineries was not positive, but it is a fair play
• Zelenskyy positively responds to a petition calling to ban online casinos during martial law
• Ukraine’s Army Chief Syrskyi: the need to mobilize 500,000 troops significantly reduced after audit
• Ukraine’s Army Chief names the number of Ukrainian POWs during Avdiivka withdrawal