Germany, U.S. send missiles to Ukraine

Germany said Wednesday it will supply Ukraine with modern anti-aircraft missiles and radar systems. Also on Wednesday, the U.S. unveiled a $700 million weapons aid package that included high-tech, medium-range rocket systems. Besides the missiles, the U.S. package will include helicopters, Javelin anti-tank weapon systems, tactical vehicles, spare parts, and more. Both packages offer Ukraine the most advanced weapons systems since Russia invaded more than three months ago.

What’s happening on the ground? A regional governor said Russian forces now control 70 percent of Sievierodonetsk, a city that is key to Moscow’s efforts to complete the capture of the Donbas region in eastern Ukraine. An airstrike hit a chemical factory in the city on Tuesday, exploding a tank of toxic nitric acid and releasing a plume of pink smoke. Residents were warned to stay inside. It’s still not certain who hit the tank.

Dig deeper: Read WORLD’s latest coverage of the war in Ukraine.