The friends of Ukraine are in a race against time to generate enough ammunition, fuel, and spare parts to stop a Russian onslaught that the head of NATO claims is already in progress.
Jens Stoltenberg, Secretary-General of NATO, has once more encouraged Western allies of Ukraine to increase their military assistance. When asked on Monday about the start date for Russia’s alleged spring attack, Stoltenberg responded, “The reality is that we have already seen the beginnings.”
“To me, this only emphasizes how crucial timing is. More weaponry must be given to Ukraine immediately, he told reporters in Brussels.
According to Stoltenberg, NATO sees “absolutely no hint that [Russian President Vladimir] Putin is prepared for peace,” and arming Ukraine sooner could save lives by ending the conflict more swiftly.
“It is obvious that we are engaged in a logistics competition. Before Russia can take the initiative on the battlefield, it must first provide essential supplies like fuel, ammunition, and spare parts to Ukraine. He said that speed will save lives.
To raise more arms and ammunition for the war-torn nation, NATO members and Ukraine’s other allies will convene on Tuesday at the alliance’s headquarters.
They will talk about NATO’s defenses on its eastern flank, which is close to Russia, on Wednesday. Budget increases for the military are also on the table.
Chaos in the shelling
On Monday, as Ukrainian forces in eastern Ukraine prepared for potential ground assaults, intense Russian artillery bombardment was directed at the city of Bakhmut.
According to a deputy battalion commander, positions in Bakhmut have been strengthened, and only those in military roles are permitted entry. In order to leave the city, any citizens would have to risk being shot at.
Putin has set his sights on Bakhmut in the Donetsk region, and months of Russian shelling have already left much of town in ruins.
According to Volodymyr Nazarenko, deputy commander of the Ukrainian Soboda battalion, “the city, the city’s suburbs, the entire perimeter, and effectively the entire Bakhmut direction and Kostyantynivka are under wild, chaotic fire.”
Every road is being chaotically pounded by artillery.
“Attacks around-the-clock”
Although there isn’t currently any combat in the city center, Nazarenko stated that the defenders are ready to repel any attack. Every location, street, and nearly every building in the city is a fortress, he declared.
After several months of defeats, the conquest of Bakhmut would give Putin a fresh foothold in the Donetsk region and a rare victory. Mercenaries from the Wagner Group have been leading the Russian attack and have made slow but steady progress.
The Donbas, the hub of Ukrainian industry, is made up of the regions of Donetsk and Luhansk. Russia is in possession of a portion of it and wants to take full control.
Serhiy Haidai, the governor of Luhansk, said, “We are waiting for them to begin enormous 24-hour attacks.”
The formation of a tank coalition, air defenses, training of troops, and logistical support, according to Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov, would be the primary topics on the agenda of the negotiations at NATO headquarters.
Ukraine claims it needs fighter jets and long-range missiles to combat the current Russian attack and retake lost ground.
