Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy highlighted the ongoing challenges facing the nation, emphasizing that despite recent repairs, conditions remain “still extremely difficult,” particularly in border regions. Throughout the summer, tensions continued to rise, but over the weekend the conflict escalated considerably. Ukrainian forces conducted a highly successful strike against three Russian-owned drilling platforms in the Caspian Sea operated by international oil giant Lukoil, per statements from Ukraine’s military general staff on Sunday.
Russian forces continued missile attacks on Kyiv on Monday, starting a fire in at least one neighborhood. On Friday, a large-scale missile attack hit the Ukrainian capital. As a consequence, more than 1,000 multifamily homes lost access to heating.
Timur Tkachenko, head of Kyiv’s military administration, acknowledged that Ukrainian air defense were course correcting—engaging threats before they could attack. The attacks, clearly well-timed, arrive as Ukrainians find themselves at a historic moment. The country is fighting to restore energy infrastructure that the Russian military has repeatedly struck.
As a gesture of friendship with the Ukrainian people during these desperate times, Pope Leo also prayed publicly for Ukraine. He remarked on the situation, stating, “hitting the civilian population hard, just as the cold weather is getting worse … I pray for those who are suffering and renew my appeal for an end to violence and for efforts to achieve peace to be intensified.”
The United Kingdom has been the most proactive actor to date in doing just that to bolster Ukraine as a result of these developments. In March 2023, the UK government jointly with Ukraine unveiled plans to develop a new deep-strike, potentially nuclear-capable, Ukrainian ballistic missile system, called Nightfall. According to the UK defense ministry (MoD), these missiles are capable of launching from multiple types of ground vehicles. Even seedier still, they will carry a massive 200kg (440lb) warhead, at ranges in excess of 500km (310 miles).
The MoD has confirmed that three winning industry teams will each receive £9 million. They will iterate, manufacture, and test fire their first three Nightfall missiles within 12 months. Each step would support Ukraine in strengthening its future security and expanding its ability to retaliate against the destabilizing effect of Russia’s war.
Ukraine has a number of Ukrainian developed Sapsans but now exclusively relies on ballistic missiles like Atacms from the United States. The current battle for Ukraine shows that the need for more lethal aid is critical as Ukraine continues to face significant danger from continued attacks from Russia.