The Kremlin has retaliated against Ukraine’s unexpected incursion into Russia’s Kursk region with a series of intense missile attacks in the past week, with the Ukrainian army now fighting in key areas on the home front.
To counter Russia’s advances, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has emphasised the urgent need for assistance from Ukraine’s allies, as Russia claims to have captured another village near Pokrovsk.
On Monday, Zelenskyy called for action on the pledges made at a recent meeting with allied military leaders at Ramstein Air Base in Germany. Following a report from Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov, Zelenskyy highlighted the urgency of allied support to diminish Russia’s combat capabilities.
“All agreements reached must be implemented as quickly as possible. What is needed in September must be delivered to our troops in September,” Zelenskyy said in his nightly video address.
Appearing in person at the Ukraine Defence Contact Group meeting, Zelenskyy told partners that Ukraine needs the capability to strike deep within Russia now. This group regularly convenes to coordinate weapons aid for the war effort.
After thanking troops for “steadfastly repelling Russian assaults and reclaiming our positions,” Zelenskyy stressed the importance of destroying as many of Russia’s forces as possible. “In the Pokrovsk and Kurakhove directions, the Russian army must lose as much combat capability as possible,” he added.
“We said goodbye to our children”
In eastern Ukraine, troops are entrenching to defend the strategically important city of Pokrovsk, with the frontline now just 8km away. Local authorities are urging evacuation, yet over a third of the population remains in the city.
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But some residents of Pokrovsk have decided to leave their loved ones behind, such as Andrej and Tatjana who said: “We had to say goodbye to our children and grandchildren.”
According to Ukraine’s top military commander, Oleksandr Syrskyj, the Russian advance has been halted. However, Russia claims they are still capturing territory on the road toward Pokrovsk.
In recent weeks, Russia has intensified missile and drone attacks on Ukrainian cities, targeting energy infrastructure and causing deadly strikes in residential areas.