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Stoltenberg says Ukraine has right to defend, as Russia accuses Ukraine of striking its territory

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NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said Ukraine has the right to defend itself against Russian missile attacks on critical infrastructure.

On Dec. 5, explosions rocked two Russian airbases hundreds of kilometers from Ukraine's border. Stoltenberg told the Financial Times he doesn’t have information about those incidents.

“But what I can say is that what we see is that Ukraine is defending itself. And we need to understand this in the wider context. We see daily attacks by Russia on Ukrainian cities, on critical infrastructure,” Stoltenberg said.

As winter looms, Stoltenberg said, Russia tries to weaponize winter to deprive civilians of water, electricity, and heating.

“And this is a brutal kind of warfare that actually affects all civilians. And it shows the brutality of the Russian invasion. And, of course, Ukraine has the right to defend itself against these kinds of attacks,” NATO Secretary General said.

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The Kyiv Independent news desk

We are the news team of the Kyiv Independent. We are here to make sure our readers get quick, essential updates about the events in Ukraine. Feel free to contact us via email with feedback and news alerts.

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Russia attacked Kharkiv with drones on Oct. 22, damaging a kindergarten and killing one person, injuring at least six, local authorities reported.

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