Fighting around the key eastern city of Bakhmut continues, with Ukrainian forces digging new trenches in an attempt to hold off the Russian attackers.
Over the past 24 hours, Ukrainian forces have repelled more than 170 attacks along the five main front-line directions, Kiev said.
Against this backdrop, the US on Friday announced a new package of military aid to Ukraine, including ammunition and other support worth a total of $400 million, Reuters reported.
The package will be funded using the Presidential Drawdown Authority, which authorizes the president to transfer items and services from the US stockpile without congressional approval during an emergency, Secretary of State Anthony Blinken explained in announcing the aid.
“This military aid package includes more ammunition for the US-supplied HIMARS anti-aircraft systems and howitzers that Ukraine uses so effectively to defend itself, as well as ammunition for Bradley infantry fighting vehicles, armored bridge vehicles (AVLBs) designed to support the military in rapidly deploying tanks and other armored fighting vehicles across obstacles such as rivers), as well as ammunition and other maintenance, training and support”, he said.
Russia tightens siege of Bakhmut
Russian artillery shelled several smaller settlements around Bakhmut, the Ukrainian General Staff said in a statement.
Russian troops pressed the city from three sides and for weeks tried to completely surround Bakhmut. On the front line in the south near the cities of Kherson and Zaporozhye, repeated Russian artillery attacks are also causing concern.
The Ukrainian army has registered in several places attempts by Russian intelligence units to study possible starting points for further attacks.
Yevgeny Prigozhin, the founder of the mercenary military company Wagner, said that the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut was effectively surrounded by Russian forces.
He added that the Ukrainian troops were left with an evacuation route.
Prigozhin’s men have been at the forefront of the offensive in eastern Ukraine for months. Moscow sees Bakhmut, which it calls Artyomovsk by its Soviet-era name, as a springboard for the capture of larger cities such as Kramatorsk and Slavyansk.
“If earlier a professional Ukrainian army fought with us, today we see more and more old men and children. They fight, but their life in Bakhmut is short – a day or two. Give them a chance to leave the city.” added Prigozhin, quoted by TASS.
Russian forces have been attacking Bakhmut for months, as Moscow sees the city as key to establishing control over the industrial Donbass region.
A day ago, Moscow accused Kiev of sending “Ukrainian saboteurs” into the Russian border region of Bryansk and attacking civilians. According to the Russian president, this is a “terrorist act”, but Ukraine suspects another provocation.
Responsibility for the action was taken by the so-called A Russian volunteer corps that claims to be fighting on the side of Ukraine.
The US does not give Kiev information about targets in Ukraine
The United States is not providing Ukraine with intelligence on targets inside Russia, Reuters reported, citing a statement to reporters by Pentagon spokesman General Pat Ryder.
The agency notes that the Pentagon’s official spokesman has called the Russian accusations “nonsense”.
“I don’t have any information as to whether or not the Ukrainians have done this kind of operation, I would refer you to them.” said Brigadier Ryder.
“I can definitely say that the idea of the US providing intelligence or information to the Ukrainians about targets inside Russia is nonsense. We are not at war with Russia, nor are we seeking war with Russia.” emphasized the Pentagon spokesman.
Medvedev: Sending fighter jets will mean war
Against this background, former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev called on NATO not to send fighter jets to Ukraine and not to carry out their maintenance activities in Poland, DPA reported.
In his words, this would be tantamount to directly starting a war against Russia.
“Anyone who decides to supply (or repair) such equipment or means of destruction, along with foreign mercenaries and military instructors, will have to be seen as a legitimate military target.” wrote Medvedev in Telegram.
