The battle in Donbas will determine the course of the war: Zelensky

Kyiv, Jun 15: With over 100 days into the war between Russia and Ukraine, the fighting is now raging in the eastern part of Ukraine as the severe battle continues in Severodonetsk and Lysychansk.

 

 

 

According to Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky, the battle in the eastern region of Donbas will “determine the course of the war.” Between 100 to 200 of its soldiers are killed each day, Kyiv says, with hundreds more wounded in the war. Thousands of people have been killed since Russia began its invasion on February 24, while several people have been displaced or forced to flee the war-torn country.

 

 

 

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky in a video address on Tuesday night said that the war-torn country's battle against Russian troops in the eastern region of Donbas will “determine the course of the war”. “Unfortunately, there are painful losses. But we must stay strong. This is our nation. Hanging in there in Donbas is crucial. Donbas is the key to deciding who will dominate in the coming weeks,” he said. The Russian forces have intensified their efforts to cut off Ukrainian troops that are remaining in the industrial hub of Severodoentsk - after destroying all three bridges which connect it across a river to the twin city of Lysychansk. Zelensky mentioned that Ukrainian forces are “suffering painful losses against Russian troops in both the eastern city of Severodonetsk and the Kharkiv region.” According to the governor of the Luhansk region, more than 500 civilians are trapped alongside soldiers at the Azot chemical plant, including 40 children. Kyiv's agriculture minister has said that the Russian invasion of Ukraine will “create a global wheat shortage for at least three seasons by keeping much of the Ukrainian crop from markets and pushing prices to record levels."

 

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While the US has committed about $4.6 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since Russia's invasion began - including longer-range rocket systems, drones, and advanced artillery, Zelensky said that Ukraine does not have enough anti-missile systems to shoot down Russian projectiles targeting its cities. “Our country does not have enough of them. There can be no justification in delays in providing them,” he said during an address. The US under secretary of defense for policy Colin Kahl said that Russian President Vladimir Putin “still likely wants to capture much - if not all of Ukraine, but has had to narrow his tactical objectives in war.” He added that “despite some tactical successes, Russia is unlikely to achieve its grandiose objectives.”