KYIV — Ukrainian soldiers fighting on the frontlines in Donetsk in the Donbas region say more weapons are urgently needed to fend off Russian aggression and territorial advances.
They say the situation is “quite difficult” adding that the Kremlin is accumulating its forces and readying itself for further assaults and occupation of territory.
The soldiers have been on one of the most active fronts in this war for a long time, some almost three years. They say it is necessary to carry out rotations to maintain effectiveness, but in the meantime are staying put and continue to defend their country.
“The youngest is 21 years old. He has been at war for almost three years. He is a gunner. And the guys here are such that they do not feel fear, they are real heroes. They are not afraid of anything,” says Anatolii, Howitzer Commander of the 26th Artillery Brigade.
The soldiers say they need more NATO-standard howitzers with the 155mm calibre shells. They say those are highly effective on the battlefield.
The declared range is 42 km for a conventional model and as much as 60 km for a rocket-assisted projectile. Such munitions will ensure Ukrainian troops are able to repel Russian advances and protect territory at range.
Meanwhile, the situation on the ground is continuing to prove dire. On Wednesday, Russian forces carried out a drone attack on the Ukrainian city of Mykolaiv, injuring two civilians.
The attack resulted in power and heating outages to some residences. Officials say the falling debris cut gas supply to 14 consumers, while close to 100 others lost access to electricity. More than 20 residential buildings were left without heating in the cold months of winter.
Regional officials say they’re inspecting all the shelling sites to determine the necessary materials to help people whose homes were damaged. 45 rescuers and almost a dozen special vehicles were deployed to the site to eliminate the consequences of the attacks.
Moscow also targeted Sumy in another wave of attacks. At least three people were injured according to Ukrainian officials, including a five-year-old child.
The Kremlin fired Iranian-made Shahed drones late on Tuesday evening as people were resting in their homes. Eyewitnesses say everything happened so quickly, and civilians had no time to react to the sound of approaching drones.
More than 40 buildings were damaged, some residential, as well as a production facility.
Local officials deployed rescue workers and volunteers to clean up the sites of the attack. Authorities say they’re still assessing the level of damage sustained, but have temporarily addressed some damage, including sealing off broken windows and repairing roofs.
The war has caused an estimated €146 billion in damage to Ukrainian infrastructure. The World Bank had previously – in early 2024 – estimated the cost of rebuilding and recovery to exceed $485 billion (€466 billion) over a span of 10 years. The figures will likely go up when experts re-analyse the damage.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky is in Davos in Switzerland where he’s been meeting leaders on the sidelines of World Economic Forum meeting in an effort to stir up support for his country’s fight against Russia.
As he did so, US President Donald Trump threatened to impose stiff taxes, tariffs and sanctions on Russia if an agreement to end the war is not reached. A warning that will likely fall on deaf ears in the Kremlin.
Washington already prohibits the import of virtually all Russian products as Moscow was hit with a multitude of US and European sanctions after it launched its full-scale invasion of Kyiv in February 2022. — Euronews
