President Joe Biden has announced plans to bolster Ukraine’s air defense capabilities in response to a recent Russian missile attack that resulted in civilian casualties, including damage to a children’s hospital in Kyiv.
The announcement comes ahead of a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Washington, DC, this week.
According to the statement, Russia’s recent attacks have killed “dozens of Ukrainian civilians” and caused damage at “Kyiv’s largest children’s hospital.” Biden characterizes these strikes as a “horrific reminder of Russia’s brutality.”
The President emphasizes the importance of continued international support for Ukraine, stating, “It is critical that the world continues to stand with Ukraine at this important moment and that we not ignore Russian aggression.”
Biden reports that he will be hosting President Zelenskyy and NATO leaders in Washington, DC. During this visit, he plans to meet with Zelenskyy to “make clear our support for Ukraine is unshakeable.”
The United Nations Security Council also met on 9 July in response to a Russian missile strike that hit Kyiv’s main children’s hospital.
The Russian Ministry of Defense claimed that video materials allegedly confirm that the fall of Ukrainian air defense missiles damaged civilian objects in Kyiv. The Institute for the Study of War reports that available evidence contradicts Russian claims attempting to deflect responsibility for the attack on a Kyiv children’s hospital.
The UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMUN) said on 9 July that evidence from the scene of the children’s hospital in Kyiv indicates “a high likelihood” of a direct hit by a Russian Kh-101 cruise missile on 8 July.
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