Russia’s Intensified Airstrikes are Depleting Ukraine’s Air Defenses

The US says it can't give Ukraine any more weapons until Congress authorizes more spending on the proxy war

Ukraine’s air defenses are being depleted by Russia’s intensified missile and drone attacks as Western military aid for Ukraine is drying up.

“Intense Russian air attacks force us to use a corresponding amount of air defense means,” Ukrainian Air Force spokesman Yurii Ihnat said on Monday, according to The Associated Press. “That’s why we need more of them, as Russia keeps increasing its (air) attack capabilities.”

Russia has stepped up strikes across Ukraine, and Ukrainian forces have been launching more attacks inside Russian territory, including a recent missile strike on Russia’s Belgorod Oblast that killed 25 people. After the Belgorod strike, Russian President Vladimir Putin vowed to increase attacks even more.

According to Ukrainian officials, 500 Russian missiles and drones were fired across Ukraine from December 29 to January 2. Ukrainian President Volodomy Zelensky said Sunday that his country lacks “a very concrete and understandable thing, that is air defense systems.”

The problem for Ukraine is that its war effort is still entirely reliant on Western support, and the US, its biggest benefactor, has said it doesn’t have the funds to send more arms. The Pentagon said last week that it’s “out of money” to send more weapons to Ukraine until Congress authorizes more spending on the proxy war.

President Biden is seeking over $60 billion to fuel the war in Ukraine for another year despite the reality that Ukrainian forces have no chance of winning on the battlefield. Republicans in Congress are holding out on authorizing the aid as leverage to get a deal to make changes to border policies and immigration laws. It’s still unclear when an agreement will be reached as Senate negotiators met on Monday and said the two sides are still far apart.

Author: Dave DeCamp

Dave DeCamp is the news editor of Antiwar.com, follow him on Twitter @decampdave.