While the Russian army is reporting gains in territory, Ukraine is lacking ammunition. President Zelensky is concerned that Republicans in the US Congress are blocking important aid. Without additional resources, his country would risk defeat.
Given the difficult situation in eastern Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelensky has warned of a defeat for his country. With regard to the lack of further military aid from the USA, Zelensky said at a video conference organized by United24, a government fundraising initiative: “If Congress does not help Ukraine, Ukraine will lose the war.”
In recent days, Russia has reported further gains in territory in eastern Ukraine, particularly in an important section of the front near the heavily contested city of Chasiv Yar. “Without the support of Congress, it will be difficult for us to win or even survive as a country,” Zelensky emphasized in his speech. The Ukrainian president also reiterated his warning that if his country were defeated, “other states would be attacked.”
Fighting for the front near Chassiv Yar
The situation near the city of Chasiv Yar is “quite difficult and tense,” said 26th Artillery Brigade spokesman Oleh Kalashnikov on Ukrainian television on Sunday. According to him, the army around Chasiv Yar has so far managed to push back all Russian attacks and Moscow’s troops are “in retreat.”
However, Russian government officials announced on Friday, according to a report by the Russian news agency RIA, that Russian soldiers had already entered the outskirts of the city, which had been converted into a fortress. Ukraine denied this.
Chasiv Yar, located in the Donetsk region, appears to be the next big target for Moscow’s army. The strategically important small town is located a few kilometers west of Bakhmut, which Russia captured last May after months of fierce fighting. If Russian forces succeed in conquering the area, they could expand their attacks on the Kyiv-controlled city of Kramatorsk in Donbass, 30 kilometers further southeast.
Weapons and ammunition for Ukraine
The US has been Ukraine’s main military supporter since the Russian invasion in February 2022. But since last year, Republicans in Congress have been blocking a new Ukraine aid package worth $60 billion (around 55 billion euros) under pressure from former US President Donald Trump, who wants to run for re-election in November. The US Congress meets today for its first session after spring recess.
Ukraine, which was attacked by Russia, is suffering from a lack of ammunition at the front and is heavily dependent on military aid from abroad. The delays in the US further complicate the defense efforts of the attacked country.
Conflict parties as a source
In the current situation, information on the course of the war, shelling and casualties provided by official bodies of the Russian and Ukrainian parties to the conflict cannot be directly verified by an independent body.