President Donald Trump has confirmed that the United States is selling weapons to NATO allies, who are then supplying them to Ukraine as it faces intensifying Russian missile and drone attacks, reports AP.

“We’re sending weapons to NATO, and NATO is paying for those weapons, 100%,” Trump told NBC on Thursday. “The weapons that are going out are going to NATO, and then NATO is going to be giving those weapons (to Ukraine), and NATO is paying for those weapons."

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, speaking from Kuala Lumpur on Friday, explained that deploying existing US-made weapons from NATO allies in Europe is faster than sending them directly from US factories. “It’s a lot faster to move something, for example, from Germany to Ukraine,” he said.

Ukraine urgently needs more US-made Patriot air defense systems. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Thursday that Ukraine is seeking 10 additional Patriot systems. Germany has pledged two, and Norway one.

Meanwhile, Russia launched a drone attack on Kharkiv early Friday, injuring nine and damaging a maternity hospital. Another drone strike in Odesa also injured nine. “There is no silence in Ukraine,” Zelenskyy said.

In response, Kyiv is launching the “Clear Sky” project—an interceptor drone system with a $6.2 million investment to counter Russian Shahed drones.

Zelenskyy said his recent talks with Trump have been “very constructive,” as Ukraine pushes its allies to speed up promised military support.

MSH

At least 34 people, including two babies were killed when a contraband fuel depot exploded into flames in southern Benin near the border with Nigeria on Saturday.

According to Beninese Interior Minister Alassane Seidou, “a serious fire occurred in the town of Seme Podji. Another 20 people were seriously wounded in the incident.”

"I can't really give you the cause of the fire, but there is a large gasoline warehouse here and cars, tricycles and motorcycles come from morning to evening,” he added.

Nigeria is a main oil and gas producer where fuel smuggling is very common along its borders, particularly when the government maintains a subsidy to keep fuel prices low.

The majority of the victims were burnt and they could not be not be identified.

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