BRUSSELS, Nov 26 (KUNA) -- NATO pledged on Tuesday to continue supporting Ukraine following Russia's targeting of the Ukrainian city of Dnipro with a medium-range hypersonic ballistic missile last week.
In a statement following the NATO-Ukraine Council meeting in Brussels, the North Atlantic Alliance confirmed that its members had reiterated their support for Ukraine. The statement described the attack on Dnipro as "yet another attempt by Russia to terrorize the civilian population in Ukraine and intimidate those who support Ukraine in its defence against Russia's illegal and unjustified aggression." During the meeting, which was chaired by NATO's acting Deputy Secretary-General Boris Ruge, ambassadors from NATO-Ukraine Council member states were briefed by senior Ukrainian military officials on the progress of the war, particularly regarding this recent attack.
Russian President Vladimir Putin had stated that the missile strike was a response to Ukraine's use of American and British weapons to target Russian territory. He also warned that Moscow considers it "its right" to target military facilities in countries that allow Ukraine to use their weapons against Russia.
On his part, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky described the attack as "the latest wave of Russian madness," urging allied countries to enable Ukraine to acquire upgraded air defence systems to counter the new threat.
The NATO-Ukraine Council serves as a forum for consultations between NATO allies and Ukraine on security issues within the context of the Russian war. The next NATO-Ukraine Council meeting is scheduled to take place during the NATO Foreign Ministers' meeting on 3-4 December. (End) arn.gb