Ukraine war briefing: Shoot down drones yourself, Russia tells its banks
Central bank and commercial institutions would arm themselves under new law; anger at UN over Russian threats to embassies. What we know on day 1,554
TL;DR
- Russian banks, including the federal reserve and Sberbank, are mandated to shoot down Ukrainian drones and cover the associated costs.
- A new law allows financial institutions to operate defense systems and arm staff without special forces involvement.
- Kyiv's forces have been targeting Russian infrastructure and equipment supporting the war effort.
- Almost 50 UN member states condemned Russia's threats against diplomatic institutions in Kyiv.
- The Czech Republic plans to deliver around a million rounds of ammunition in 2026, with funding from the EU and other donors.
- Financing for Czech ammunition supplies includes yield from frozen Russian assets, totaling nearly €1 billion euros so far this year.