Kathrine Frich
Australia has just promised another massive cash injection to help Ukraine.
When a distant conflict drags on, allies often start looking at the mounting bills and wondering when it will end.
Keeping financial and military pipelines open requires a deep belief in the final outcome.
Some nations are now proving they are willing to dig even deeper to keep the pressure on.
Millions in fresh funds
Australia has just promised another massive cash injection to help Ukrainian forces fight back against Russian troops.
According to Sky News Australia, the nation will send $100 million in new military support. Officials split the funding into two equal chunks destined for a NATO equipment purchasing program.
Defence Minister Richard Marles explained the move.
“What happens in Ukraine matters here in the Indo-Pacific, which is why it is so important for Australia to stay the course and continue to stand with Ukraine until they find peace on their terms,” he said.
Angus Campbell, the Australian ambassador to NATO, detailed the package during a Thursday meeting in Brussels. The latest pledge pushes Australia’s total financial support past the $1.8 billion mark.
Striking back hard
This fresh funding arrived just as Kyiv launched a highly destructive retaliation operation.
Ukrainian forces sent a historic wave of drones crashing into Moscow.
The attack badly damaged an oil refinery and forced authorities to completely shut down the largest airport in the capital.
Local officials reported that the strikes injured 17 people. They also noted that massive fires quickly spread to a nearby apartment block and a shopping center.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy defended the dramatic strike. He called the operation an “absolutely justified response” to heavy attacks on Kyiv earlier in the week, Sky News Australia reported.
Sending a message
Beyond hitting infrastructure, Kyiv is clearly trying to shift public opinion inside Russia.
“The main thing is that the people of Russia begin to feel that it is one man, Putin, who is waging this war, while ordinary people pay the price for everything,” Zelenskyy told reporters.
Russian leaders quickly threatened severe revenge. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov promised that Moscow would “carry out massive group strikes on a regular basis” as their forces push to grab more territory.
President Vladimir Putin was attending a summit in Southeast Asia when the explosions rocked his capital, and he has not yet addressed the attacks publicly.
Sources: Sky News Australia
