U.S. Okays $800-M Extra Defense Assitance To Ukraine

US lawmakers have agreed to provide an additional $800 million in defense aid for Ukraine.

Photo Insert: NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg says Ukraine has a right to defend itself against Russian aggression and Moscow has no right to complain about Ukraine’s striking military targets in its territory.

Both chambers of the US Congress approved the 2023 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which authorizes an additional $800 million in security assistance for Ukraine – an increase of $500 million over US President Joe Biden’s request earlier this year, Reuters reported.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg says Ukraine has a right to defend itself against Russian aggression and Moscow has no right to complain about Ukraine’s striking military targets in its territory.

“What we see is that Ukraine is defending itself. And we need to understand this in the wider context. We see daily attacks by Russia on Ukrainian cities, on critical infrastructure,” Stoltenberg said.

Other critics insisted that Russia has gone bonkers after its supposed 10-day march to Kyiv ended up as a 10-month descent into a quagmire.

Oleksiy Chernyshov, CEO of Ukraine's oil and gas monopoly Naftogaz, has confirmed that recent Russian attacks had damaged 350 natural gas facilities with the loss of gas production capacity of around $700 million.

The Wall Street Journal has reported that Agrocomplex, a company owned by Russian oligarch Alexander Tkachov, has seized 400,000 acres of Ukrainian farmland belonging to three Ukrainian agribusinesses in Ukraine's Russian-occupied territories.

General Staff: Russia has lost 92,740 troops in Ukraine since Feb. 24. Russia had also lost 2,935 tanks, 5,909 armored fighting vehicles, 4,526 vehicles and fuel tanks, 1,923 artillery systems, 395 multiple launch rocket systems, 211 air defense systems, 281 airplanes, 264 helicopters, 1,601 drones, and 16 boats.

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