Ukraine updates: Russia claims capture of village in Donetsk

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has warned that Russia may be planning a summer offensive

Russia’s Ministry of Defense claims to have captured the eastern village of Novomykhailivka in Russian-annexed Donetsk.

Ukraine’s military leadership on Monday morning said that Russian forces had made 23 attempts to break through defensive lines in areas around Georgiyivka, Novomykhailivka, Vodyane and Urozhayne, but were contained.

Meanwhile, EU foreign and defense ministers are meeting in Luxembourg to discuss continued support for Ukraine following the weekend’s decision by US lawmakers to approve a $61 billion (€57 billion) military aid package for Kyiv.

Here’s a look at the latest on Russia’s war in Ukraine on Monday, April 22.

Ukraine warns situation on front will worsen in May

The situation for Ukraine on its front line is likely to deteriorate steadily in the coming weeks, said the head of Ukrainian military intelligence Kyrylo Budanov in an interview with the Ukrainian service of the BBC.

His assessment comes as outgunned and outmanned Ukrainian forces struggle to hold back Russian troops, who have gained ground in recent months and are expected to soon step up their offensive.

“In our opinion, a rather difficult situation awaits us in the near future,” Budanov said.

According to Budanov, it will be a difficult period for the Ukrainian forces on the front in mid-May, early June.

“But it is not catastrophic and we need to understand that. Armageddon will not happen, as many people are now saying,” he said.

Russia has in recent weeks regularly claimed new gains in eastern Ukraine.

Ukraine has struggled for months with a growing ammunition shortage, but that is expected to improve in the coming weeks.

The United States on Saturday finally approved a $61 billion (€57 billion) military aid package to help fight Moscow.

EU ministers welcome US aid for Ukraine ahead of talks in Luxembourg

EU foreign and defense ministers are meeting in Luxembourg on Monday to discuss continued support for Ukraine along with as well as extending sanctions aginst Iran.

Several of the ministers expressed their relief following the passing of a long-delayed aid package for Ukraine by the US Congress.

“This isn’t just a good and important moment for Ukraine, but it’s also an important moment for the safeguarding of peace in Europe,” said German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock.

She welcomed the breakthrough in the US Congress, saying the EU and US — as Ukraine’s two biggest supporters — were once again on the same page.

Baerbock also called on allies to contribute more to Ukraine’s aerial defense amid increased Russian rocket and drone attacks. asking governments “to look into their stocks and see how air defense support can be expanded.”

Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis also welcomed the US aid package, saying “We dodged a historic bullet.”

Russia claims capture of village in eastern Ukraine

Russia’s Ministry of Defense on Monday said forces had captured the eastern village of Novomykhailivka in Russian-annexed Donetsk.

improved the tactical situation along the front line,”

Russia’s defense ministry said in a post on Telegram that troops had “liberated” the village and “improved the tactical situation along the front line.”

Ukraine’s military leadership on Monday morning said that Russian forces had made 23 attempts to break through defensive lines in areas around Georgiyivka, Novomykhailivka, Vodyane and Urozhayne but had been contained.

Ukraine is battling with dwindling resources and manpower in its defensive effort against Russia’s continued invasion.

Over the weekend, US lawmakers approved $61 billion (€57 billion) in military and financial aid for Ukraine however Western experts believe that it could be weeks before any difference is seen on the battlefield.

Its its latest analysis of the situation in Ukraine, US think tank the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), said Russian forces would likely intensify ongoing offensive efforts along with missile and drone strikes in the coming weeks, in order to exploit the closing window of Ukrainian material contraints.

Amid the shortages on the battlefield, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has also warned that Russia could be plotting a summer offensive.

Ukraine’s head of military intelligence said in an interview published on Monday that the situation on the frontline would worsen in the coming weeks for Ukraine.

“In our opinion, a rather difficult situation awaits us in the near future,” Kyrylo Budanov told the BBC’s Ukrainian service.

“But it is not catastrophic and we need to understand that. Armageddon will not happen, as many people are now saying,” he said.

kb (AFP, AP, dpa Reuters)