Zelenskiy Calls For Reinforcement of Eastern Front Amid Russian Advances

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy called on Tuesday for significant reinforcement of key sectors along eastern Ukraine’s 1,000-km (600-mile) front line, where Russian forces have steadily advanced in recent months.

Zelenskiy’s appeal followed announcements from Russia’s Defence Ministry claiming its troops had captured two new villages: Romanivka in the Donetsk region, the main focus of the war, and Novodarivka in the Zaporizhzhia region to the south.

In his nightly video address, Zelenskiy spoke after consulting with Ukraine’s top commander, Oleksandr Syrskyi, emphasising the importance of Western weaponry arriving promptly.

“The Donetsk directions require significant reinforcement. This particularly involves the supply of weapons from our partners,” Zelenskiy said. “It’s a direct relationship: The greater our army’s firepower and technological capabilities, the more we can destroy Russia’s offensive potential and protect the lives of our soldiers.”

Zelenskiy stressed the need to enhance Ukraine’s long-range capabilities, with efforts including increased domestic weapons production.

The United States, Ukraine’s largest military aid provider, announced a new $725 million aid package on Monday. 

However, concerns linger over future supplies under President-elect Donald Trump, who has pledged to quickly end the conflict.

Analysts and military bloggers have noted Russian forces are advancing in the east at their fastest pace since the initial stages of the February 2022 invasion.

Russia’s Defence Ministry reported capturing Romanivka, located south of Kurakhove in Donetsk, and Novodarivka, just over the border in Zaporizhzhia. However, Ukraine’s military general staff confirmed 38 Russian attacks near Kurakhove but did not acknowledge Romanivka falling. It also made no mention of Novodarivka being captured but listed it among areas under Russian attack.

In a Telegram post, Zelenskiy cited commander Syrskyi’s assessment of “difficult” conditions around Kurakhove and Pokrovsk, another area targeted by Russian advances farther north. Despite these challenges, Zelenskiy reported “quite good” results in defending the Zaporizhzhia region.

Faridah Abdulkadiri

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