Hard fighting, that could shape new facts at a critical juncture in the war in Ukraine, are raging on the eastern and southern fronts of the country, with the United States announcing through Biden overnight that it will send heavy, modern weaponry to Kiev.
The American move, like similar ones by European countries, comes at a time when the Russians are strengthening their positions in Donbass, albeit slowly and with heavy losses, while advancing their plan to annex areas such as Kherson.
A few hours after he welcomed the European decision to embargo Russian oil, but also criticized the long delay in imposing new sanctions against Moscow, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zhelensky called on the West to reinforce his country with "appropriate weapons" to push the Russians out of the territories they have occupied in Ukraine since the February 24 invasion.
In a message overnight, Zelensky assured that his country's forces remain sovereign and are making progress in the south, near Kherson, while advancing on the Kharkiv front.
Earlier, after meeting with Slovak President Zuzana Chaputova, Zelensky emphatically stated that his country's forces are waiting for the West to provide them with the right weapons to liberate the Russian-controlled territories of the country and free the maximum number of Ukrainian citizens.
Biden sends weapons, but not for strikes on Russian territories
A few hours after Zelensky's message, the US president, in an article in the New York Times Joe Biden announced that the US would supply the Ukrainian military with advanced multiple rocket launchers mounted on light armored vehicles, ammunition, artillery and air surveillance radars, anti-tank weapons and more, as part of a new $700 million package of U.S. military assistance to Ukraine.
The missile launcher systems have an effective range of about 80 kilometres, but they are not long-range weapons with a range of several hundred kilometres, which the US has in its arsenal. This is because Washington does not want to appear to be supplying Ukraine with weapons that can be used for strikes inside Russian territory, which might be seen as their direct involvement in the war.
"We are not encouraging Ukraine and we are not giving Ukraine the means to proceed with strikes beyond its borders," Biden noted, putting an asterisk on providing this assistance to Kiev.
The US president also pledged, apparently differentiating himself from similar discussions fuelled mainly by European centres, that he "will not put any pressure on the Ukrainian government, privately or publicly, to cede territory."
Russian advance in Donbass
Meanwhile, Russian forces have since yesterday, and after weeks of bombing and military operations, controlled half of Severodonetsk, a strategically important city in Luhansk, right on the eastern line in Ukraine.
The mayor of Severodonetsk Aleksandr Stryuk said that "the front line cut the city in two, but the city is still defending itself."
As the governor of Luhansk Sherhi Gaidai said, the Russians bombed a nitric acid tank yesterday, apparently continuing attacks to seize the entire city.
But in the south, Moscow's attempt to consolidate its territorial gains is also intensifying. Pro-Russian official Kirill Stremusov, deputy head of the Kherson Military and Civil Administration, has stated that this region, just above Crimea, will soon join the Russian Federation.
However, late last night, Ukrainian officials announced that there is a "disruption of all communications" in Kherson and that residents of the region have no access to the Internet and Ukrainian mobile phone networks.
Zelensky's satisfaction, but also criticism of the EU.
The decision at yesterday's European Union summit to embargo Russian oil, albeit with many exceptions and over a period of time, brought satisfaction in Kiev, but Volodymyr Zelensky chided European leaders for the long delay in the EU's adoption of the sixth package of sanctions.
As the Ukrainian president said, "when more than 50 days have passed between the 5th and 6th package of sanctions, the situation is not acceptable for us."
However, according to the Commission, 90% of oil imports will be eliminated by the end of this year, an estimate that many consider over-optimistic nonetheless.
The European Union is now turning its attention to the problem with the blocking of at least 20 mn. tonnes of grain at Ukrainian ports.
As Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said, the EU is working to create alternative routes, "Solidarity Lanes", to allow the grain to be exported by road and rail.
European Council President Charles Michel stressed that "Egypt and other African countries are the victims of this looming food crisis." Volodymyr Zelensky also warned that a food catastrophe is coming and accused the Russians that millions of people will starve because of them.
Source.gr
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