NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg assured that “it is not too late” for Ukraine to win the war, But he reiterated, along with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, that kyiv needs more help as Russia advances on the front.
“Significant delays in support have serious consequences on the battlefield”Stoltenberg admitted on a visit to the Ukrainian capital, referring to the delay that has occurred in the delivery of European and United States aid to Ukraine.
“But it is not too late for Ukraine to prevail,” the NATO official said, adding that more aid was being sent and that there would be new announcements of support “soon.”
Important to visit Kyiv again and meet with President @ZelenskyyUa. The situation is difficult, but it is not too late for #Ukraine to prevail – and more support is on the way. #NATO is also stepping up for the long haul, putting Ukraine on an irreversible path to the Alliance. pic.twitter.com/VbY1F8fBMR
— Jens Stoltenberg (@jensstoltenberg) April 29, 2024
At his side, President Volodimir Zelensky asked the Western allies to accelerate arms deliveries and “derail” the new major offensive that Moscow is preparing, according to kyiv.
“Together, we can derail the Russian offensive,” Zelensky declared. Moscow “is trying to take advantage” of the delay in aid delivery, he added.
“Artillery, 155 millimeter caliber (howitzers), long-range weapons and anti-aircraft defense, mainly Patriot systems, are what our partners have and what should now work,” said the Ukrainian head of state.
Since the failure of the Ukrainian counteroffensive launched in mid-2023, that former Soviet republic has been on the defensive. Russia gains ground in the east from the beginning of 2024, against kyiv forces fighting with scarce ammunition.
“Tactical successes” of Russian troops
A Russian missile bombardment left at least four dead in the Ukrainian city of Odessa, in the Black Sea, reported the regional governor.
“Three women and a man died. According to an updated balance, 28 people were injured, including two children and a pregnant woman,” Odessa provincial governor Oleg Kiper declared on Telegram, adding that the attack damaged “homes and civil infrastructure.”
According to images from Ukrainian media, a building located on the edge of the sea, belonging to the Odessa Legal Academy and known for its resemblance to a small castle, caught fire.
Kiper said a four-year-old child is “very serious,” six adults are in intensive care and one man died of a heart attack caused by the attack.
Odessa, a port in southwestern Ukraine, vital for exports, is a regular target of missile and drone bombings.
Likewise, Russian troops claimed this Monday to have taken the town of Semenivka, in the east, and the day before they said they controlled Novobajmutivka, a village also on the eastern front.
The commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian Army, Oleksandr Syrsky, admitted on Sunday, April 28, that the situation has “worsened” on the front. and that Russian troops, militarily advantageous, recorded “tactical successes” in several areas.
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