NATO will send air defense systems to Ukraine in the coming days to aid in the nation's defense against the drones, including those from Iran, that Russia is deploying to target vital infrastructure.
Jens Stoltenberg, the NATO chief, stated during a security conference in Berlin that the allies must increase the delivery of air defense systems as a response to the strikes.
"The most important thing we can ddefenseliver on what allies have promised, to step up and deliver even more air defense systems," he said.
"NATO will in the coming days deliver counter-drone systems to counter the specific threat of drones, including those from Iran.
"No nation should support the illegal war of Russia against Ukraine," Stoltenberg said.
After the United States issued a warning that it would hold Russia accountable for war crimes, a Russian missile struck an apartment building early on Tuesday in the Ukrainian port of Mykolaiv, prompting NATO to make the decision.
According to a Reuters witness, the attack on the city, which is the latest, resulted in one of three explosions heard early on Tuesday in the southern city and destroyed one wing of the structure in the downtown center, leaving a sizable crater.
The witness added that a man's dead body was pulled from the rubble by a fire crew.
When the missile hit, building occupants were taking cover in the basement. According to a resident, the dead man was in the basement of the wing that collapsed when the missile hit it.
The Kyiv apartment complex was filled with black smoke, and firefighters worked hard to put out the fires.
This is the second round of bombings this week by Russia. It began on Monday with attacks on the Ukrainian capital Kyiv and other places, killing at least four persons.
Russian officials deny targeting civilians. Its defense ministry said that it has used high-precision weaponry to launch a "massive" offensive on military targets and energy infrastructure throughout Ukraine.
The bridge connecting mainland Russia to Crimea, the peninsula that Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014, was demolished on October 8 by Ukrainian forces as they pushed in the east and south.
Volodymyr Zelenskiy ( Reuters).
In a video address on Monday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said "Right now, there is a new Russian drone attack" "There are ( drones ) that have been shot down."
According to the Interfax Ukraine news agency, Taas, Telegram users had reported explosions in the southern port city of Odesa as well as the town of Fastiv, just outside Kyiv.
The US condemns Russia's missile strikes.
The White House "strongly condemns" Russia's missile strikes, said Karine Jean-Pierre, press secretary to U.S. President Joe Biden, adding that the attack "continues to demonstrate Putin's brutality."
The United States will support the Ukrainian people "for as long as it takes," Jean-Pierre said, referring to a $725 million military aid package announced for Ukraine last Friday.
"We will continue to impose costs on Russia, hold them accountable for its war crimes," she said.
EU foreign ministers call for sanctions against Iran.
Ukraine said that Iran-made "suicide drones" that fly to their target and explode were used in the airstrikes.
However, Iran continued to deny on Monday that it is giving drones to Russia.
The White House accused Iran of lying when it said Iranian drones were not being used by Russia in Ukraine.
Russia has not commented on the matter.
After suffering a series of military setbacks
at the hands of Ukrainian troops, Russia increased its attacks on infrastructure further from the front line, according to Ukraine, which claimed that drone attacks had destroyed over a third of its power stations over the past week.
Sanctions imposed by the West are also hampering Russian military efforts in Ukraine.
In line with a U.N. Security Council resolution that supported the 2015 nuclear agreement between Iran and six major powers, the United States, and Britain, agreed that Iran providing drones to Russia would be unlawful.
On Monday, several EU foreign ministers demanded sanctions against Iran for transferring drones to Russia.
Russian fighter plane crash.
According to the Interfax news agency, a Russian fighter jet crashed into a residential building in Yeysk in southern Russia, engulfing apartments in flames and killing up to 13 people.
The Su34 fighter bomber crashed while performing a training flight, according to Tass, but the crew managed to eject.
According to Russia's State Investigative Committee, a criminal investigation into the incident has begun.
A total of 218 prisoners, including 108 Ukrainian women, were exchanged between Russia and Ukraine on Monday, according to representatives from both defense ministries.
In what he called a "special open defense to weed out what he deems dangerous nationalists," Russian President Vladimir Putin sent thousands of troops into Ukraine on February 24.
Politics and Opinion.
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