Zelensky: Russia taking advantage of slow arms delivery
Ukraine’s President, Volodymyr Zelensky, has remarked that Russia is capitalizing on the sluggish delivery of Western weaponry to escalate its offensive maneuvers.
Zelensky’s statement follows the US’s approval of a $61 billion (£49 billion) aid package, predominantly comprising military assistance, for Ukraine.
While acknowledging the arrival of some aid, Zelensky emphasized the imperative for swifter delivery.
He made these remarks alongside NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, who conveyed that “It’s not too late for Ukraine to triumph.”
These observations come in the wake of reports from authorities in Odesa, a Black Sea port, stating that a Russian missile strike resulted in the deaths of four individuals and injuries to 32 others.
According to Oleh Kiper, Odesa’s regional leader, among the casualties were three women, one man, a four-year-old child, a 16-year-old, and a pregnant woman, with damage sustained to civilian residences and infrastructure.
Earlier the same day, Russia declared the capture of a second village within two days as part of its ongoing offensive in eastern Ukraine.
During a joint press conference in Kyiv, President Zelensky highlighted, “The Russian military is presently seeking to exploit the delay in receiving supplies from our allies, notably the United States of America. Hence, the promptness of deliveries is crucial for stabilizing the front.”
He specifically emphasized Ukraine’s urgent requirement for artillery shells and air defense systems, stressing, “Our allies possess these resources, and they must promptly deploy them here in Ukraine to thwart Russian aggression.”
Zelensky also warned, “Russia’s military is gearing up for further offensive actions.”
Echoing Zelensky’s sentiments, Stoltenberg underscored the necessity of providing weaponry to Kyiv, remarking that “Ukraine has been outmatched for months, compelled to ration its munitions.”
The NATO chief underscored that the six-month delay in US military assistance had led to “grave repercussions on the battlefield.”
But Mr Stoltenberg added that he was optimistic that when the arms were delivered it would help turn the tide.
“Our allies are looking into what more they can do and I expect new announcements soon. So we are working hard to meet Ukraine’s urgent needs,” said the Nato chief.
Mr Stoltenberg also stressed that Ukraine would one day become a Nato member – a key strategic goal for Kyiv; but added that an official invitation at the alliance’s Washington summit in July was unlikely.
Russia said it had captured the village of Semenivka, which lies north of Avdiivka which Moscow took in February. On Sunday, Russia said the nearby village of Novobakhmutivka had fallen to its forces.
Ukraine’s commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrskyi has said the situation on the frontline has worsened in the face of multiple Russian attacks, and that Ukrainian forces had withdrawn from positions in the eastern Donetsk region.
Also on Monday, Ukraine’s interior ministry said a 98-year-old woman had walked more than 10km (six miles) with two sticks under shelling from the partially occupied Russian eastern village of Ocheretyne to Kyiv-controlled areas.
“I survived that war [World War Two], and I am going through this war,” the woman, named only as Lidiya Stepanivna, is heard saying in the footage at an aid center. She said she fell several times and had to rest on the ground during her escape.
“This war is not like that one,” she added. “Houses are burning and trees are being uprooted.”
Earlier this month, the US finally approved billions of dollars in new military aid for Ukraine to help combat Russia’s invasion, putting an end to six months of congressional deadlock and raising Kyiv’s hopes that its dwindling supplies would be restocked.
Ukrainian forces have suffered from a shortage of ammunition and air defense systems in recent months. Officials have blamed delays in military aid from the US and other Western allies for the loss of lives and territory.
