Ukraine unable to defend all its cities due to US cuts in funding

UKRAINE faces the prospect of allowing its cities to be bombed by Russia as missile supplies from the US dry up.

Experts warned that Ukraine’s air defences will be unable to repel all of Vladimir Putin’s winter bombing campaign, with the military forced to choose which targets to defend.

Joe Biden’s administration has sent its last package of military aid available to the White House under a “drawdown” authority that allows the US to give Ukraine its own military supplies.

White House officials had set a New Year’s Eve deadline for Congress to authorise a new package of military aid for Ukraine, but have faced opposition from Republican congressmen who argue the money should be spent on domestic priorities.

On Dec 27, the US sent a final shipment of military supplies worth $250 million (£196 million), including air defence missiles to protect Ukrainian cities and critical infrastructure from aerial bombardment by Russian forces.

The Pentagon said that it “remains critical that Congress takes action as soon as possible in the new year” to approve a $61 billion supplemental funding request to allow aid to continue, because Republicans and the White House were unable to agree a deal before Congress’s Christmas break.

Last January, the US sent Ukraine more than $5 billion of supplies, the largest donation in a single month since the war began. The package included the first supply of American armoured vehicles and air defence batteries to protect cities from Russian bombs.

A second major package of $3 billion was sent in August, on Ukrainian independence day, to help boost supplies for the country’s autumn counteroffensive.

There is particular concern about the supply of Patriot interceptor missiles, first supplied to Ukraine in April.

“There will be some systems where they will have to ration their ammunition even more than they are at the moment,” said Jimmy Rushton, a Kyivbased defence analyst.

“It could they have to just not engage some targets, because they don’t have enough interceptors to go around.

“That’s a horrible decision to have to make, but if you really believe that you’re running out of missiles to engage incoming targets, you’re going to have to ration them to protect the targets that you believe to be most important.”

Republicans have indicated they are willing to discuss a deal on Ukraine funding with Mr Biden, but are pushing for investment in US border security in return for their support for the war.