Ukraine's European allies on Friday pledged more than 21 billion euros in new military aid for Ukraine during a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group (UDCG) in Brussels, Belgium.
British Defense Secretary John Healey said that the allies reached the agreement to step up weapon deliveries to Ukraine, and German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius announced at the meeting that Germany would send four IRIS-T air defense systems, and multiple kinds of weapons to Ukraine.
However, Pistorius declined the call from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for more Patriot systems, saying that Germany is currently unable to continue supplying Patriot systems to Ukraine, as Germany itself is awaiting the delivery of the system.
Russia said that its forces shot down dozens of Ukrainian drones in Kursk and Belgorod. The Russian Ministry of Defense said that Ukraine launched strikes on Russia's energy facilities, attacking five times in the past 24 hours on energy facilities in Bryansk, Kursk, Luhansk, and Zaporizhzhia.
Also on Friday, the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces said that 148 battles took place on the frontline in the previous day.
It also said that Ukrainian forces repelled attacks from Russian forces in multiple directions, and its air forces, missile units, and artillerymen struck 13 concentration areas of Russian personnel, weapons and military equipment, one air defense system and two artillery systems.
In the direction of Kursk, 24 fights of different intensity were fought, said the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
Ukraine's allies pledge more military aid as conflicts continue
The Iranian government is focusing on public concerns and maintaining stable supplies of essential goods amid recent protests, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said in a televised interview on Sunday.
In the city of Karaj, northwest of the capital Tehran, daily life has largely continued as normal. A video filmed by a local resident on Sunday shows food stores open and grocery shelves fully stocked.
"This is the block near my home, and there are some food stores here. Daily life continues here. Last night we did not see many protests in Karaj. Right now the city is very safe. This is a grocery store close to my home. All the food is available; nothing is in shortage. Here are noodles and different types of beans. Here are dairy products, cheese, and yogurt. I also checked other grocery stores and didn't see any shortages. Everything is available," said local resident Ali Reza.
Iranian officials have described recent disturbances as acts orchestrated by the "enemy," including some carried out by well-trained and armed "terrorists." The incidents have caused casualties among security personnel and civilians, as well as property damage.
The Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council Ali Larijani has directed authorities to severely punish the "terrorists."
Meanwhile, Iran's police chief Ahmad-Reza Radan said on Sunday that the police had raised alert levels and arrested several leaders of the troublemakers during the operations on Saturday.
President Pezeshkian noted in the interview that the normal demands of the Iranian people are reasonable and justified, but they must realize that triggering riots and carrying out terrorist acts are the enemy's attempts to undermine the country. He urged the public to remain vigilant.
Also on Sunday, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf warned that Tehran would regard U.S. and Israeli bases and facilities in the Middle East as "legitimate targets" if Washington takes military action against Iran. His remarks followed media reports saying U.S. President Donald Trump is "seriously considering authorizing a strike" against Iran.
Iranian state media reported that at least 109 members of Iran's security forces have been killed in clashes since the protests began 14 days ago. Meanwhile, human rights groups based outside the country said the number of protesters killed has exceeded 200, though the figure could not be independently verified.
The protests initially erupted over a sharp depreciation of the rial and sweeping subsidy reforms. Iranian authorities have blamed the unrest on foreign-linked agents and sanctions imposed by the United States.
Iranian president says government focusing on ensuring supplies amid protests
