Kiev [Ukraine], July 22: Kiev said on Monday that it requires the equivalent of over €5 billion ($5.84 billion) in additional military aid this year to boost its production of weapons, as Moscow responded to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's proposal for new peace talks.
The funds are necessary to manufacture more remote-controlled drones, interceptor drones and long-range weapons, Defence Minister Denys Shmyhal said during an online meeting in the so-called Ramstein format. According to the Interfax-Ukraine news agency, he asked partner countries to already provide funds for 2026.
Ukrainian Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi also called for an increase in military aid.
"We are still urgently lacking air-defence systems and associated missiles, long-range weapons, artillery shells, armoured technology, evacuation equipment, electronic warfare systems, radars, drone systems and more," the general said, adding that only with joint efforts could Russian aggression be stopped.
The 29th meeting was attended by 50 partner countries of Ukraine, led by Germany and the United Kingdom.
Ukraine has been defending itself against a full-scale Russian invasion for more than three years with massive Western support.
Moscow confirms interest in negotiations with Kiev
The Kremlin confirmed on Monday its interest in a third round of negotiations proposed by Zelensky to end the war.
At the previous meeting, both sides exchanged their position papers, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. According to Russian news agencies, he said that an exchange of views and negotiations are now pending, but so far they are completely opposing. He added that "great diplomatic work" is still needed.
On Saturday, Zelensky proposed a meeting to take place later this week. According to Peskov, there is no finalized date yet.
He stated that there are no changes on the Russian side regarding the composition of the delegation. In the previous two rounds of talks in Istanbul, Russia's chief negotiator was presidential adviser and former culture minister Vladimir Medinsky.
In May, Kiev and Moscow held bilateral negotiations for the first time in three years. At this meeting and a later one in June in Istanbul, both sides agreed on a large prisoner exchange and the return of fallen soldiers.
However, steps towards ending the war against Ukraine, ordered by Russian President Vladimir Putin in February 2022, were not discussed.
Fresh wave of Russian attacks on Ukraine
At least one person was killed and eight others injured as Russia launched a wave of drone attacks on Kiev overnight, Ukrainian officials said on Monday.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky wrote on Monday morning on the platform X about a total of two dead and 15 injured following the attacks across the country as a whole.
The attacks hit the capital and its surroundings, as well as Kharkiv in the north-east and Ivano-Frankivsk in the west of the country, near the Polish border. Referring to Ivano-Frankivsk, Mayor Ruslan Martsinkiv described it as the largest attack since the beginning of the war.
According to the Ukrainian Air Force, Russia attacked its neighbouring country overnight with 426 drones and drone decoys.
Additionally, Moscow reportedly used five Kinzhal (Dagger) hypersonic missiles and 19 cruise missiles of various types.
The air force stated that 403 drones and decoys were shot down or brought down by targeted jamming. The majority of the missiles and cruise missiles were also neutralized, they wrote, but did not specify an exact number.
Air and rail traffic in Russia restricted due to drones
The Ministry of Defence in Moscow said on Monday that 74 Ukrainian drones were shot down over Russian territory overnight. Of these, 15 were reportedly approaching the capital.
The drone attacks once again affected air traffic. According to the aviation authority Rosaviatsiya, the four Moscow airports and the one in Nizhny Novgorod were closed for take-offs and landings for several hours.
In the Rostov region, the drone attacks also led to restrictions in train traffic.
Drone debris caused a fire at the station in the town of Kamensk-Shakhtinsky, the North Caucasus Railway Company reported. More than 50 trains were delayed as a result.
Source: Qatar Tribune