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Civilians taking refuge at a humanitarian aid center in Bakhmut on Monday
The situation in the city of Bakhmut on the Eastern Front is becoming “more and more difficult,” said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Russian troops have been trying to take the city for over six months.
“The enemy is constantly destroying everything that can be used to protect our positions,” said Zelenskyy.
The Ukrainian leader’s comments came as US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen warned China against arming Russia during a visit to Kiev on Monday.
Some of the fiercest fighting since Russia invaded Ukraine just over a year ago has taken place in Bakhmut in Ukraine’s Donetsk region, part of which is controlled by Russia and its separatist allies.
Recently, Russian forces’ efforts to capture the industrial city have intensified, with their troops gaining ground.
The separatist leader of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic, Denis Pushilin, said “virtually all roads” into the city were “live”. [Russian] fire control”.
In his late-night speech on the situation, President Zelensky said that he had managed to gain a foothold in Bakhmut and ensured that his defenses were severely compromised by Russia’s renewed attack.
He was “grateful to every single person who keeps the area heroic.”
President Zelenskyy again called for the deployment of modern combat aircraft so that “the entire territory of our country” can be defended against “Russian terror”.
During her surprise visit to Kiev on Monday, Janet Yellen announced the latest transfer of $1.25bn (£1bn) in economic and domestic aid to Ukraine.
Ms Yellen reiterated US President Joe Biden’s message – made during his own visit to Kiev last week – that Washington would stand by Ukraine until the war was won.
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US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen (R) paid a surprise visit to Kiev on Monday
Speaking to CNN, Ms Yellen added that while Russia’s economy has not yet suffered from the heavy sanctions imposed by Western powers, she expects it to weaken over time.
She also stated that Russia’s ability to replenish military equipment destroyed in attacks on Ukraine is “gradually in jeopardy,” adding that any move by China to supply such weapons to Russia would have “serious” consequences would have.
“We have made it very clear that we will not tolerate any systematic violations by any country of the sanctions we have imposed, aimed at depriving Russia of access to military equipment to wage this war,” she said.
“And we have been very clear with the Chinese government and have made it clear to Chinese companies and financial institutions that the consequences of violating these sanctions would be very serious.”
A meeting between China’s top diplomat Wang Yi and Russia’s President Vladimir Putin last week in Moscow seemed to many to be an indication of China’s close ties with Russia.
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