Day 136 of the Invasion of Ukraine: Russia accuses the US in Trying to Prolong the Conflict at Any Cost

Working trip of the President of Ukraine to Dnipropetrovsk region @president.gov.ua

Here are the highlights of events related to the war in Ukraine over the past 24 hours:

Ukraine again asked for more weapons from allies

Ukraine has called on its allies to send more weapons as its forces try to slow Russia's military advance through the eastern Donbas region.

Zelensky thanked his American colleague Joe Biden for providing more HIMARS missile systems to Ukraine. In a message on Twitter, he said the systems and the 155 mm projectiles promised in Washington's new aid package were essential. And in his traditional address that night, Zelensky noted:

"Yesterday I made the 24th address to the parliaments of the EU countries and the first made near the front line. I hope that the other three EU countries will also feel that these calls of mine are not about politics, but about protecting our common freedom and therefore we will get to the point where I can say one day: all 27 parliaments of the European Union hear the fight for freedom better than any Russian manipulations."

Russia is preparing for a big offensive

Russia is preparing for a major offensive in Ukraine, reports the American Institute for the Study of War in its regular assessment of the course of the conflict. Russian armed forces continue to conduct more limited offensive actions to prevent the Ukrainian military from seizing the initiative, the US think tank said. According to its data, the Russian group in the eastern Luhansk region is restoring its combat capability and gathering forces for a further offensive. The assessment of the development of military operations said that Russian forces made minor gains southeast of the city of Seversk, in the Bakhmut district of the Donetsk region, and continued their advance west of Lysychansk, which they had already captured.

Yesterday, there were 18 shellings in the Sumy region, reported the head of the administration, Dmytro Zhivitsky. He also said that the Russian military used different types of weapons such as rockets and mortars. Many settlements were affected and one person was injured.

The mayor of Melitopol, Ivan Fedorov, said that Russian soldiers fired on the brigade that was trying to repair the damaged main gas pipeline in the Zaporizhzhia region. The facility was cut off a week ago as a result of the hostilities. Fedorov said that the Russians did not allow the introduction of a regime of silence for its repair, and did not allow the organization of a humanitarian corridor.

Zelensky visited Ukrainian soldiers in Dnipropetrovsk region

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visited Dnipropetrovsk region in the eastern part of the country yesterday. He met with Ukrainian military personnel and visited a hospital where wounded soldiers are being treated. He said in his overnight video address that he had gone to personally express his gratitude to those protecting Ukraine, as well as to the doctors and nurses saving the lives of wounded soldiers and civilians.

Russia: The US is trying to prolong the conflict at any cost

“The US authorities are sending Ukraine new weapons, including wheeled HIMARS (High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems), as they want to prolong the conflict by all means, as well as compensate for Kyiv's losses”. This was stated in a statement published by the Russian Embassy in the United States on Friday.

"Behind this decision is Washington's unbridled desire to prolong the conflict at any cost in order to compensate by sending weapons the growing losses of the national battalions and the Ukrainian Armed Forces," said the diplomatic mission, commenting on the plans of the American authorities to provide Kyiv with a new package of military aid , including four HIMARS.

"The thesis of high-ranking representatives of the USA that PVN (military products) are used by the Ukrainians for defensive purposes is untenable. The authorities in Kyiv and nationalist formations are using weapons from the USA to destroy cities in Donbas", the embassy emphasized. "Ukrainian armed forces constantly attack residential areas in Donetsk. The shelling is carried out with NATO shells of 155 mm caliber. Civilians die every day in different areas of the capital of the DPR, where there are not even Russian soldiers nearby. The other day, the 10-year-old girl Veronika Badina was killed while walking in front of her home. In eight years, more than 150 children have died in Donbas at the hands of the Nazis. The goal of the Russian Federation is to put an end to the terror of the Kyiv regime. With its actions, Washington does not bring peace closer, but pushes the Ukrainian authorities to new bloody crimes," the statement said.

On Friday, US President Joe Biden ordered a new 0 million military aid package for Ukraine, which the Pentagon says will include ammunition, artillery shells, three tactical vehicles, explosive charges, countermeasures systems, spare parts for military equipment and "other equipment" in addition to four HIMARS missile launchers.

According to the Pentagon, Washington has promised to send a total of 12 HIMARS to Kyiv, eight of which have already been delivered. The agency reported that the total amount of US military aid to Ukraine since January 2021 is estimated at about 8 billion dollars.

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