Russian President Vladimir Putin has approved budget plans to raise military spending to record levels by 2025, with 32.5% of the budget allocated for national defense. This comes as Moscow aims to prevail in the ongoing war in Ukraine, Europe’s biggest conflict since World War II. The Russian parliament has already approved the plans, which will amount to 13.5 trillion rubles (over $145 billion).
In recent months, Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine has seen the Russian army gradually pushing Ukrainian troops backward in eastern areas, despite assistance from Western allies. European Council President Antonio Costa and EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas visited Kyiv to offer continued support to Ukraine. However, doubts are growing over what Ukraine can expect from the United States under the new administration led by Donald Trump.
On the ground in Ukraine, three people died in a drone strike in Kherson, while the number of wounded in a missile strike in Dnipro rose to 24 with four deaths. Moscow sent 78 drones into Ukraine, with Ukrainian officials reporting the destruction of 32 drones. In retaliation, a child was killed in a Ukrainian drone attack in the Bryansk region of Russia. The Russian Defense Ministry claimed that 29 Ukrainian drones were shot down in various regions of western Russia.
Photo credit
www.nbcnews.com