"If the US Congress doesn't help, Ukraine will lose"

Given the difficult situation in eastern Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelensky has warned of a defeat for his country. With regard to the lack of further military aid from the USA, Zelensky said at a video conference organized by United24, a government fundraising initiative: "If Congress does not help Ukraine, Ukraine will lose the war."

In recent days, Russia has reported further gains in territory in eastern Ukraine, particularly in an important section of the front near the heavily contested city of Chasiv Yar. “Without the support of Congress, it will be difficult for us to win or even survive as a country,” Zelensky emphasized in his speech. The Ukrainian president also reiterated his warning that if his country were defeated, “other states would be attacked.”

Fighting for the front near Chassiv Yar

The situation near the city of Chasiv Yar is "quite difficult and tense," said 26th Artillery Brigade spokesman Oleh Kalashnikov on Ukrainian television on Sunday. According to him, the army around Chasiv Yar has so far managed to push back all Russian attacks and Moscow's troops are "in retreat."

However, Russian government officials announced on Friday, according to a report by the Russian news agency RIA, that Russian soldiers had already entered the outskirts of the city, which had been converted into a fortress. Ukraine denied this.

Chasiv Yar, located in the Donetsk region, appears to be the next big target for Moscow's army. The strategically important small town is located a few kilometers west of Bakhmut, which Russia captured last May after months of fierce fighting. If Russian forces succeed in conquering the area, they could expand their attacks on the Kyiv-controlled city of Kramatorsk in Donbass, 30 kilometers further southeast.