On Maundy Thursday, the Russian military continued its relentless attacks on the ruined city of Bakhmut on the eastern front and shelled Kherson, according to officials in Kyiv.

The Kremlin sees Bakhmut as a key target in its slow advance in Donbas more than a year after Russia invaded neighboring Ukraine.

Deputy Minister of Defense of Ukraine Hanya Malyar spoke on Telegram about the heavy fighting along the entire line of contact on the eastern front. He assured that the Kyiv troops repelled attacks in most areas.

He noted that “most” of the attacks are carried out “in the Bakhmut sector” and assessed that Russian commanders brought troops into the city from somewhere else.

“The enemy uses their most professional units there and relies heavily on artillery and aircraft. “Every day, the enemy conducts 40 to 50 raids and 500 artillery attacks on Bahamut,” he said.

Earlier this week, the head of Wagner’s mercenary company, Yevgeny Prigozhin, said his forces controlled 80% of Bakhmut, a claim Kyiv denied.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and other officials are pushing for Kyiv’s allies to send more weapons ahead of a major Ukrainian counteroffensive reportedly set to begin in a few months.

“We are preparing our guys,” Zelensky said late in the evening. “We are looking forward to delivering the weapons promised by our partners. We’re getting closer to victory.”

According to the Ukrainian authorities, two people also died as a result of the new Russian shelling of Kherson.

In Washington, Prime Minister Dennis Schmichal held Maundy Thursday talks on post-war reconstruction and tried to prove that progress in the fight against corruption is achieved through reform. He promised that every dollar allocated would be accounted for, and he assumed that the recovery would begin later this year. He praised the “constant, determined and unprecedented” US support.

Speaking to US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen Schmichal, he said there was a $4 billion funding gap that needs to be filled this year.

The Ukrainian government also continues to insist that the country become a member of NATO. “There is no alternative way for Ukraine to join NATO,” said Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov, speaking at a conference on the security of the Black Sea.

The inclusion of Kyiv in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization is a red line for Russia.

Source: RES-IPE