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President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine stated that Russian forces had been throwing “every little thing they’ll” at Kyiv’s troops preventing to retake land within the south and east, once more emphasizing the grueling nature of a counteroffensive that’s shifting extra slowly than some allies had hoped.
Ukrainian troops have made solely small good points since launching the extensively anticipated marketing campaign in June, and in current weeks, they seem to have stalled in some areas within the face of staunch Russian defenses. Casualties are mounting, and American officers have stated that Ukraine has additionally misplaced newly offered Western armored automobiles in subject after subject of land mines.
Mr. Zelensky, who has defended the tempo of the counteroffensive, stated in his in a single day handle late Friday that he had had a “detailed” assembly earlier within the day along with his prime commanders to debate the entrance strains and “logistics” — together with weapons and the “rational use of shells, provides from companions,” an obvious reference to the speed at which Ukraine’s forces are expending ammunition.
“We should all perceive very clearly — as clearly as potential — that the Russian forces on our southern and jap lands are investing every little thing they’ll to cease our warriors,” he stated. “Each thousand meters of advance, each success of every of our fight brigades deserves gratitude.”
Mr. Zelensky has repeatedly pressed his Western allies for more and more subtle weapons, and he secured new pledges this week from allies on the NATO summit in Lithuania, together with long-range missiles from France and extra tank ammunition from Germany. However it was not instantly clear how quickly these weapons would arrive, or how vital a lift they may present for the counteroffensive.
One ally that has resisted sending weapons to Ukraine is South Korea, whose president, Yoon Suk Yeol, arrived in Ukraine on Saturday for an unannounced go to. In an announcement after his assembly with the South Korean chief, Mr. Zelensky made no mention of whether or not they had mentioned deadly army help.
America has acknowledged that Ukrainian forces are operating low on ammunition, which was one cause that President Biden agreed final week over the objections of allies to ship cluster munitions to Ukraine. The weapons are extremely harmful for civilians and are outlawed by all however just a few international locations, together with the USA, Russia and Ukraine.
Ukraine’s prime commander, Gen. Valeriy Zaluzhnyi, instructed The Washington Submit in an interview printed on Friday that his army was nonetheless missing the required assets to defeat Russia and criticized allies who’ve argued that it doesn’t want F-16s.
The protection ministers of Denmark and the Netherlands introduced this previous week that they’d gathered 11 international locations to assist practice Ukrainian pilots on F-16 fighter jets as quickly as subsequent month. Mr. Biden agreed in Might to drop his objections to giving Ukraine F-16s, although that won’t occur till subsequent yr.
Ukraine has additionally been asking the USA for long-range Military Tactical Missile Programs, which have a spread of about 190 miles — about 40 miles greater than missiles that France and Britain are offering. American and European officers have stated that the Biden administration, after months of sustaining it might not present the weapons for concern of additional scary Russia, is contemplating whether or not to ship just a few to Ukraine.
Whereas Mr. Yoon’s go to to Ukraine didn’t seem to have modified Seoul’s stance on weapons, the journey was a notable present of assist.
Seoul, which is reluctant to overtly antagonize Moscow, has declined to ship deadly support and has imposed strict export management guidelines on its world weapons gross sales. It has additionally offered humanitarian support and monetary assist to Ukraine for mine removing, energy grid restoration and reconstruction tasks.
Nevertheless, Mr. Yoon has indicated that Seoul could be prepared to contemplate sending Ukraine army support within the occasion of a large-scale assault on civilians.
He visited the cities of Bucha and Irpin — which turned synonymous with Russian atrocities within the earliest days of the invasion — upon arrival on Saturday, Mr. Yoon’s workplace stated, after which met with Mr. Zelensky.
After the assembly, Mr. Zelensky stated he was “grateful” to Mr. Yoon for supporting Ukraine’s efforts for peace and safety — together with “new initiatives of monetary, technical and humanitarian assist.”
Within the meantime, Ukraine’s army on Saturday continued to report fierce preventing within the nation’s south and east, saying that Russian forces in southern Ukraine had been centered on “stopping the additional advance” of Kyiv’s troops preventing within the path of two key Russian-occupied cities, Melitopol and Berdiansk.
Right here’s what else is going on within the conflict:
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Russian shelling killed one man and injured one other within the Kharkiv area of northeastern Ukraine, the regional army administration stated in an announcement on Saturday.
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A spokesman for Ukraine’s border service stated that “obtainable data exhibits” that some fighters with the Wagner mercenary group had “been noticed in Belarus.” The feedback got here a day after Belarus’s Ministry of Protection stated Wagner mercenaries had been coaching its safety forces. Questions in regards to the fighters’ future have swirled since a deal to finish the Wagner mutiny in Russia final month included an association for voluntary exile in Belarus. There’s little proof they’ve gone there in massive numbers.
John Yoon contributed reporting from Seoul.
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