A top Department of Defense (DOD) official confirmed on Tuesday that American weapons provided to Ukraine have been captured by Russian forces on the battlefield. The U.S. has provided Ukraine with almost $45 billion in military aid over the past year.
Top Zelensky officials are considering a potential ‘strategic pullback’ from the beleaguered eastern city of Bakhmut. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has admitted that he is not prepared to order the continued defense of the city at all costs. Both Ukraine and Russia are suffering tremendous casualties in the fight for the city, but Russia has superior artillery fire, which it has been using nonstop around the clock. The city is almost completely surrounded by Russian troops.
According to a retired U.S. Marine fighting in Ukraine, the frontlines are a “meat grinder,” and soldiers typically live an average of “four hours.”
On Tuesday, Russia came under attack by multiple drones, with one reportedly setting an oil depot on fire in the southern region of the country and another striking outside Moscow.
On Monday, U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen visited Kyiv for 12 hours, where she met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and another massive transfer of U.S. taxpayer dollars to Ukraine. According to Yellen, another $1.25 billion will be provided to Ukraine in the form of economic and budget assistance.
On Friday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that Kyiv is preparing to launch attacks in an effort to recapture Crimea. The plan for the attacks includes forming new military units and sending forces to train in other countries.
Pro-Ukrainian forces with ties to the Crimean-based Atesh partisan group have claimed responsibility for an attack that left a railway line in the Bakhchisaray district near Simferopol City, Crimea, damaged on February 23, according to Inkerman.
Ukraine’s military intelligence service has released a photo of an American-made Black Hawk helicopter painted with a Ukrainian flag and has indicated that it has been used in military operations.
As the United Nations (UN) held 2 days of special sessions this week to address the situation in Ukraine and the Nord Stream pipeline sabotage, Russia defended itself by saying that its ongoing war in Ukraine is a matter of “survival.”