Kyiv: Ukrainian troops are facing significant losses due to the slow arrival of Western arms, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy revealed in an interview with CNN aired on Sunday. He emphasized that the delay in equipping the armed forces is allowing Russia to gain ground in critical areas, particularly in the eastern region of Pokrovsk.
For several months, Russian forces have been advancing toward Pokrovsk, closing in to within 10 kilometers (six miles) of the city’s eastern outskirts. This strategic city sits at the crossroads of key rail and road routes, vital for supplying Ukrainian troops and towns along the eastern frontline. Moscow’s army has long targeted this hub, and Zelenskyy described the situation in the east as “very tough.”
“Half of Ukraine’s brigades [in the east] are not equipped,” Zelenskyy stated. “So you lose a lot of people. You lose people because they are not in armed vehicles … they don’t have artillery, they don’t have artillery rounds.” The interview, conducted in English, aired amidst increasing Russian aggression in the region.
The dire situation in Pokrovsk worsened on Sunday when Russian shelling resulted in the death of one person, according to local authorities. This incident is part of a broader Russian offensive, with troops advancing towards the strategic logistics hub. In a separate attack, two individuals were killed in a missile strike on the Ukrainian Black Sea port city of Odesa, as Moscow and Kyiv exchanged a series of drone and missile assaults.
Ukraine’s air force reported success in countering some of these threats, stating that 10 out of the 14 drones and one of the three missiles launched by Russia overnight had been shot down. Conversely, the Russian Defense Ministry announced that it had downed 29 Ukrainian drones overnight across western and southwestern regions, claiming no damage from the resulting debris. Additionally, another Ukrainian drone was reportedly shot down on Sunday morning over Russia’s western Ryazan region.
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While Ukraine and Russia frequently carry out overnight drone raids on each other’s territory, Ukrainian officials typically refrain from confirming or denying attacks within Russian borders. However, the ongoing attacks highlight the intensity of the conflict and Ukraine’s struggle to contain Russian advances in the east.
In response to the increasing pressure, Ukraine renewed its appeal to the West on Saturday to permit the use of long-range missiles for striking targets deep within Russia. Ukrainian forces argue that such weapons are essential to degrade Russia’s offensive capabilities and push them further from Ukraine’s borders. To date, the U.S. has limited the use of American-provided weapons to areas near Russia’s border with Ukraine. However, Ukrainian officials argue that expanding the use of these long-range missiles is crucial for their defensive strategy.
President Zelenskyy reiterated this call on social media, stressing the severity of the situation. He noted that Russia had launched “around 30 missiles of various types, more than 800 guided aerial bombs, and nearly 300 strike drones against Ukraine” in the past week alone. This escalation underscores the urgency of Ukraine’s request for a policy shift on the use of long-range weapons.
