Zelenskyy says US still supplying weapons as Prince Harry visits Kyiv

KYIV, April 23: Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Thursday that US weapons deliveries to Ukraine continue despite global focus shifting toward the Iran crisis, while Ukraine is intensifying long-range strikes inside Russia targeting oil production and industrial infrastructure.
Zelenskyy said Ukrainian attacks are inflicting “tens of billions of dollars” in losses on Russia, though the figure could not be independently verified. He said Ukrainian forces are striking deep into Russian territory, in some cases over 1,000 kilometers from the border, as part of a wider strategy to weaken Russia’s war capability. Russia’s full-scale invasion began on February 24, 2022, and continues with regular attacks on Ukrainian energy systems and civilian areas.
Ukraine is using domestically developed drones alongside Western-supplied air defence systems, including US Patriot missiles, to defend against Russian strikes. Zelenskyy said Ukraine is responding to Russian attacks by targeting critical energy infrastructure that helps finance Moscow’s war effort.
Russian authorities reported intercepting 154 Ukrainian drones across multiple regions, including Crimea, the Sea of Azov, and areas near Moscow. Despite interceptions, some strikes caused damage. In Russia’s Samara region, a drone attack killed one person and damaged industrial sites, including energy facilities linked to oil production. Reports also suggested a petrochemical plant was targeted, though details remain unconfirmed.
Ukrainian officials said their forces struck oil refineries and pipeline infrastructure in Samara and Nizhny Novgorod regions. The targets reportedly included pipelines transporting crude oil from western Siberia and pumping stations supplying refineries. Kyiv said the aim is to disrupt Russia’s oil logistics, increase transport costs, and reduce revenues used to fund the war.
Meanwhile, Russian forces continued drone attacks on Ukraine. A strike on the city of Dnipro killed three people and injured several others, damaging residential and administrative buildings.
Amid the ongoing conflict, Prince Harry visited Kyiv for his third trip in a year, speaking at a security conference where he praised Ukraine’s resilience and unity. He travelled by train from Poland and called for continued international support.
The war continues with escalating drone warfare, heavy strikes on energy infrastructure, and ongoing civilian casualties on both sides. (AP)