As Russia’s attacks in the south and east of Ukraine get worse, Ukrainian soldiers on the front lines say they need more planes and ammunition right away to win the war.
Some estimates say that Ukraine is firing between 6,000 and 7,000 artillery shells a day, while Russia has been firing as many as 20,000 shells a day at times.
Tuesday, Ukraine asked Western countries again for fighter jets. At the same time, NATO defense ministers are meeting in Brussels for two days for a Ramstein-format meeting, but no decision has been made.
Ukraine’s Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov was in Brussels to talk to NATO members about the issue. When asked what kind of military help his country wants, he held up a picture of a warplane.
But Ukraine’s allies have promised more weapons, ammunition, and tanks as the war with Russia reaches a crucial point. Both sides are expected to launch an offensive when the weather gets better in the spring.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy underlined the importance of rapid decision-making in his nightly address on Tuesday: “We can see now that the Kremlin is trying to squeeze all possible aggression potential out of Russia. They are in a hurry. Because they know that the world is still stronger, but it takes time to accumulate its strength.”
“Therefore, speed is very important. Speed in everything. In decision-making. In the implementation of decisions. In delivery. In training. Speed saves lives, speed brings back safety,” he added.
In Brussels, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that allies in the bloc are providing “unprecedented support” to Ukraine to “help uphold its right to self-defence”.
He added: “From the start, we have been working very closely with the European Union, on the terms to support Ukraine for as long as it takes.”
Russia is putting more pressure on the area near Bakhmut in the Donetsk Oblast province. If Russia could take Bakhmut, it would be a big symbolic win for them before the first anniversary of the war on February 24.
Local news reports say that Ukrainian forces blew up a bridge near Bakhmut. This could mean that they plan to leave the area, but Kyiv says that they have no plans to leave the city.
Zelenskyy said on Tuesday that “every meter of Ukrainian land is a battleground.”
