Ukraine Accuses Russia of Intentionally Exhausting Them with Deadly Strikes

Rage in Russia is intensifying due to the lethal Ukrainian attacks that resulted in the death of numerous Russian soldiers, and some legislators are calling for retribution for the commanders who they believe put the troops in peril.

On Tuesday, Ukrainians were informed of further Russian assaults that had occurred during the night. This was the third night in a row of attacks since the start of the new year, which Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelenskyy described as Moscow's effort to "wear out" his nation with extended offensives.

In the early days of 2023, Ukraine's military reported that they had successfully shot down the majority of Russia's Iranian-made Shahed drones. This has caused some NATO members to consider making current military spending targets for the group into mandatory requirements.

On February 3rd, the European Union and Ukraine will be convening in Kyiv for a summit to discuss military and financial aid. This summit is taking place almost a year after Russia began its full-scale invasion of the nation.

The office of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy released a statement after he had a conversation with European Commission head Ursula von der Leyen on Monday. The statement mentioned that the two parties discussed the anticipated outcomes of the upcoming Ukraine-EU summit, which is scheduled to take place on 3 February in Kyiv, and agreed to increase their preparatory work.

President Zelenskyy announced that the first installment of macro-financial aid from the European Union, worth 18 billion euros ($19 billion), will be received in January. He expressed his gratitude to Von der Leyen for the EU's assistance, noting that it is especially important at a time when Russia is attempting to build up its forces for aggression.

In the upcoming months, NATO members are set to debate the amount of military spending that is necessary, with some countries advocating for the 2% target to become the lowest amount of contribution. This was reported by German media, citing Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg expressed his support for making the current 2% target a minimum, according to a report from German news outlet DPA.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg declared that there will be meetings between ministers, talks in various capitals, and that he will be the one to lead the negotiations.

NATO's next general assembly is scheduled to occur in Vilnius, Lithuania on July 11-12, and Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg is hoping to have a deal in place by then.

In his nightly address, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Russia is attempting to wear down Ukraine with a continuous series of assaults throughout the nation.

He declared that they will do whatever it takes to make sure that the terrorists' objectives are not achieved. He also urged everyone involved in air security to be extra vigilant at this time.

In the past few days, Russian strikes on Ukrainian cities and infrastructure have intensified. Starting on New Year's Eve, the attacks have continued for three consecutive nights. The main focus of the strikes has been on Ukraine's energy facilities, leaving millions of people without heat and electricity in the midst of the frigid winter temperatures.

Russian military forces have been relying more and more on the destructive Iranian-made Shahed drones, which have caused destruction in Ukrainian cities. President Zelenskyy reported that Ukrainian air defenses were able to take down over 80 of these drones in the initial days of January.

On New Year's Eve, a Ukrainian attack on a temporary barracks in Russian-occupied Donetsk resulted in the death of numerous Russian soldiers. This prompted a rare public acknowledgement of the human loss from the Russian government.

Ukraine has acknowledged that 63 of its soldiers were killed, a number that CNBC has not been able to verify but which Kyiv officials assert is much higher. This is one of the most daring actions taken by Ukraine in the war, and it has sparked outrage in Russia, with demands that those responsible for putting their troops in danger be held accountable.

According to Russian military bloggers, the barracks located in Makiivka were situated in the same building as a large ammunition depot, and the commanders were aware that it was within the range of Ukraine's rockets, as reported by Reuters. It is thought that the large quantity of stored ammunition was the cause of the extensive damage.

The Russian defense ministry reported that four rockets were launched from HIMARS launchers, which were manufactured and supplied to Ukraine by the United States. Ukraine has not acknowledged their involvement in the attack, which was conducted on Russian-controlled land, as is customary.

The Ukrainian Armed Forces characterized the Makiivka incident as an offensive against Russian personnel and military hardware.