Intensive Russian missile strikes continued on large areas of Ukraine, and while Washington announced the approval of a new package of aid to Kiev, Western positions appeared contradictory regarding striking Russian military targets.
And the Ukrainian authorities confirmed that the capital Kyiv and the city of Odessa were the most affected by the Russian bombing, and the authorities called on the population to go to shelters.
And the governor of the Kyiv region, Oleksiy Kuleba, announced that the region was under a new attack by drones, as sirens sounded in the early hours of Friday morning.
This came after the Russian bombing of Ukrainian cities yesterday, Thursday, which was described as one of the largest missile attacks since the start of the war last February.
High precision weapons
For its part, the Russian Ministry of Defense confirmed that the Russian forces targeted yesterday the sites of the Ukrainian leadership and energy facilities operating the institutions of the Ukrainian military-industrial complex.
A spokesman for the Russian Defense Ministry, Igor Konashenkov, said that the bombing achieved all the desired goals.
The Russian Ministry of Defense also announced that it had carried out intensive strikes yesterday, Thursday, on the Ukrainian military control sites, with high-precision weapons.
In a later development, the Russian Investigation Committee announced the killing of the deputy head of the Military Investigation Department in a Ukrainian bombing of Donetsk.
Position contrast
Politically, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that Ukraine's recent attacks on military targets in Russia are completely legitimate, in what appears to be a contradiction with the declared US position in this regard.
"Every country has the right to defend itself, and so does Ukraine," Stoltenberg added, stressing that the Ukrainian attacks must be seen in context.
He added, in remarks reported by the German news agency, that military support for Ukraine is the fastest way to achieve peace.
And US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken confirmed earlier that Washington does not encourage Ukraine to carry out strikes in Russia.
US President Joe Biden has previously stressed that he does not support providing Ukraine with long-range missile capabilities, for fear of an escalation that could involve the United States in a direct confrontation with Russia.
Yesterday, Thursday, Russia announced the interception of a Ukrainian drone near the Russian Air Force Base of Engels, which is located near the city of Saratov, 730 km southeast of Moscow.
This is the third incident of its kind within one month in the vicinity of this Russian base, which is known to include strategic bombers and devices designed to strike high-importance targets.
sovereignty over Crimea
In a related context, Andrei Yermak, advisor to the Ukrainian president, said that his country will not make any concessions regarding the independence, territorial integrity and full sovereignty of Ukraine, including sovereignty over the Crimean peninsula.
Yermak added in a television interview that there is an understanding between Ukraine and the United States on various issues.
The head of intelligence in the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense said that the fighting between the Russian and Ukrainian armies this December had reached what he called a dead end.
Belarusian missile
Meanwhile, the Russian presidency expressed its deep concern over the Ukrainian missile incident in Belarus.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in press statements that the two countries' forces are in constant contact, and coordination is taking place between them, which allows for the rapid exchange of the most sensitive information.
Peskov added that Belarus has taken a number of measures in this regard towards the Ukrainian side.
For his part, the commander of the anti-aircraft missile forces in the Belarusian Ministry of Defense, Kirill Kazantsev, did not rule out that the accident of the Ukrainian S-300 missile on its territory was a provocation by the Ukrainian forces.
Kazantsev said in a press statement that the ministry is studying two hypotheses, one of which is the unintentional launch of an anti-aircraft guided missile due to poor training of the crew, or a defect in the missile.
American aid
In Washington, US President Joe Biden signed the new budget law, which includes additional billions in aid to Ukraine.
The total budget approved by the House and Senate is $1.7 trillion, and $45 billion has been earmarked for aid to Ukraine, of which $9 billion is for military support.
The budget includes slightly more support for Ukraine than the president originally requested from the House and Senate.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had addressed an enthusiastic speech to the US Congress to request more support for his country.