Zelenskyy attending NATO Summit in Washington, D.C.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Tuesday said he would be asking NATO leaders for air defense systems following missile strikes on Ukraine’s civilian infrastructure this week. Zelenskyy said he was also asking for F-16 fighter jets, weapons, and financial aid for Ukraine’s military.

NATO leaders are gathering in Washington, D.C., this week to discuss challenges facing the 32-nation alliance. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg last week said the most important task at the summit would be supporting Ukraine in its fight against Russian aggression.

What’s going on with these strikes on civilian targets in Ukraine? Russian missile strikes on Monday damaged Kyiv’s Okhmatdyt Children’s Hospital and other areas, Zelenskyy said. In a statement on Tuesday, Zelenskyy said the strike killed at least 38 people and injured almost 200 others. At least four children were among the deceased, he added.

What has Russia had to say about this? Russian Ambassador to the United Nations Vasily Nebenzya on Tuesday alleged that Norwegian missile systems supplied to Ukraine likely caused the damage, according to Russian state media. Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov also suggested that Ukraine struck the children’s hospital to garner sympathy before the NATO summit this week.

Dig deeper: Listen to Jessica Eturralde’s report on The World and Everything in It podcast about a young man fleeing the war in Ukraine.