Ukraine’s defence minister says supply delays are costing lives

A Russian drone on Sunday morning struck an unspecified facility in Ukraine’s western Khmelnytskyi region, the regional military administration reported without giving details.

Local citizens clean a shop that was damaged after Russians hit it, in Kostiantynivka, Donetsk region, Ukraine (Alex Babenko/AP)

Half of promised Western military support to Ukraine fails to arrive on time, complicating the task of military planners and ultimately costing the lives of soldiers, the country’s defence minister said.

Speaking at the Ukraine. Year 2024 forum in Kyiv, Rustan Umerov said that each delayed aid shipment meant Ukrainian troop losses, and underscored Russia’s superior military might.