The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) announced today, Tuesday, that it will provide Ukraine with air defense systems “in the coming days” to help it defend itself against drones used by Russia to target vital infrastructure, warning at the same time of “serious consequences” if Moscow used nuclear weapons.

Speaking at a security conference in Berlin, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said that the Allies' response to the Russian drone attacks is to intensify shipments of air defense systems that they provide to Kiev.

He added, "The most important thing we can do is to deliver what the allies promised, but rather to intensify and deliver more air defense systems. In the coming days, the alliance will provide anti-aircraft systems to counter the threat of these aircraft, including

Iranian".

He also warned again of "serious consequences" if Russia used nuclear weapons in Ukraine, saying, "The incidence of any nuclear attack against Ukraine is low, but of course the potential impact, and the consequences are very significant... This risk we have to take seriously, and we do that by clearly informing Russia." That there would be dire consequences if it used a nuclear weapon."

"We also reminded Russia that a nuclear war cannot be won and should never be fought... We are ready for all possibilities" when it comes to Russia's war on Ukraine, he added, ruling out

The possibility of setting up a nuclear umbrella for NATO in Ukraine as a deterrent to Russia, claiming that this nuclear shield is only for member states.


Insufficient systems

The head of Ukrainian intelligence, Kirill Budanov, stressed that the air defense systems Kyiv obtained from its allies were "insufficient" to eliminate the Russian missile threat.

He added that his country's forces are currently shooting down 70% of the drones that penetrate its airspace, noting that Iran is making more drones to provide Russia with them, stressing that the Russian forces will conduct training on strategic nuclear weapons, after the end of the nano exercises.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that Russian air strikes had destroyed about 30% of Ukraine's power stations since the 10th of this month.

He added - in a tweet on Twitter - that the attacks caused blackouts throughout Ukraine;

Stressing that there is no longer a place for negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The Kyiv Prosecutor's Office also accused the Russian forces of using internationally prohibited weapons in the bombing of Ukrainian cities, including the capital, Kyiv.

tense situation

In another context, the Russian army confirmed today, Tuesday, that the situation on the ground in Ukraine is "extremely tense and difficult" for its forces, in light of a counter-offensive launched by Kyiv.

"The situation in the area of ​​the special military operation can be described as tense. The enemy does not abandon its attempts to attack the positions of Russian forces," General Sergei Surovkin, who was assigned to conduct military operations in Ukraine ten days ago, told Rossiya 24 TV channel.

Surovkin also announced that the Russian army is preparing to evacuate the residents of the city of Kherson, where the Ukrainian strikes targeting civilian infrastructure "pose a direct threat to the lives of the residents," as he put it.


Bombing and counter attacks

On the ground, Al-Jazeera correspondent reported earlier that the "Destyansky" neighborhood, east of Kyiv, was targeted, adding that explosions targeted an electric power station on the eastern side of the capital, causing power, internet and water cuts to the district's neighborhoods.

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko also announced that the death toll from the bombing that targeted the capital on Monday had risen to five, after the body of an elderly woman was pulled out from under the rubble.

Several Ukrainian regions are witnessing Russian bombing and counter-attacks by the Ukrainian army. More than 120 km from Kyiv, Russian missile strikes targeted an energy supply facility in the city of Zhytomyr.

In Zaporozhye, in the center of the country, an infrastructure facility was damaged by Russian bombing with S-300 missiles.

In contrast, Ukrainian counterattacks were concentrated in the south, where the pro-Russian authorities in Donetsk announced that four civilians had been killed and 14 wounded in the city.

And in the Russian province of Belgorod, the mayor of the city announced that the movement of trains had been suspended temporarily due to the Ukrainian bombing of a border town.

The Russian Defense Ministry stated that its forces targeted military installations, energy systems, and depots of foreign-made weapons and ammunition in Ukraine.

Its spokesman, Igor Konashenkov, said that Russian forces had destroyed a satellite communications station in Odessa province, belonging to the Ukrainian State Communications Center.