Russia yesterday pounded eastern Ukraine as the US defense secretary promised to “keep moving heaven and earth” to get Kyiv the weapons it needs to repel the new offensive, even as Moscow warned such support risked widening the war.
Two months into the devastating conflict, Western arms have helped Ukraine stall Russia’s invasion, but its leaders have said they need more support fast.
US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said that more help was on the way, as he convened a meeting of officials from about 40 nations at the US’ Ramstein Air Base in Germany to pledge more weapons.
Photo: AFP
Germany announced that it had cleared the way for delivery of Gepard anti-aircraft guns to Ukraine.
“This gathering reflects the galvanized world,” Austin said in his opening remarks.
He added that he wanted officials to leave the meeting “with a common and transparent understanding of Ukraine’s near-term security requirements, because we’re going to keep moving heaven and earth so that we can meet them.”
After fierce defense by Ukrainian forces thwarted Russia’s attempt to take Ukraine’s capital early in the war, Moscow now says its focus is the Donbas.
In the Russian-speaking industrial region in eastern Ukraine, separatists backed by Russia have fought Ukrainian forces since 2014.
In the small city of Toretsk in the Donbas, residents are struggling to survive, collecting rainwater for cleaning and washing up, and fervently hoping for an end to the fighting.
“It’s bad. Very bad. Hopeless,” Andriy Cheromushkin said. “You feel so helpless that you don’t know what you should do or shouldn’t do, because if you want to do something, you need some money, and there is no money now.”
Local officials said at least nine people were killed and several more wounded by Russian attacks on towns and cities in eastern and southern Ukraine.
Donetsk Oblast Governor Pavlo Kyrylenko wrote on the Telegram messaging app that Russian forces “continue to deliberately fire at civilians and to destroy critical infrastructure.”
Ukraine also said that Russian forces shelled Kharkiv, the nation’s second-largest city that lies outside the Donbas, but has seen significant attacks as Moscow seeks full control of the region.
Ukrainian forces struck back in the Kherson region in the south.
With the potentially pivotal battle for the east under way, the US and its NATO allies are scrambling to get artillery and other heavy weaponry to that area in time to make a difference.
Austin said that more than 30 allies and partners have joined the US in sending security assistance to Ukraine, and more than US$5 billion of equipment has been committed.
The meeting in Germany comes after Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergei Lavrov warned that weapons supplied by Western countries “will be a legitimate target,” and accused NATO of “pouring oil on the fire” with its support for Ukraine.
Lavrov also warned against provoking World War III and said the threat of a nuclear conflict “should not be underestimated.”
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