US defense officials speak on Ukraine support, suggest Russian strikes on civilians are war crimes

Following Wednesday's meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group at NATO headquarters in Brussels, U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley held a press conference.

During the briefing, Milley condemned indiscriminate Russian missile strikes on Ukraine that killed civilians, suggesting they met the definition of war crimes under the international rules of war.

"Indiscriminate and deliberate attacks on civilians targets is a war crime in the international rules of war,” Milley said.

The pair addressed bolstering Ukraine's air defence and how the international community will continue to assist Ukraine in the long-term as fighting is expected to continue into winter to regain territory amid Russian President Vladimir Putin's "war of choice."

Austin said while the U.S. is taking Putin's nuclear threats seriously, there are no indications yet to suggest he's moving to act on them.

More than 50 countries gathered on the sidelines of a NATO meeting in Brussels on Wednesday to discuss bolstering Ukraine’s air defence, two days after Russian missiles rained on Kyiv and other cities across the country.

"We will continue to boost Ukraine's defensive capabilities for today's urgent needs and for the long haul," Austin said during the press conference.

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