Western hesitancy to resupply Ukrainian Armed Forces has become an urgent concern.
Kyiv warns of potential Russian advances in the summer
ADVERTISEMENTUkrainian officials fear that Russian troops may be able to make significant gains this summer should Kyiv's Western allies fail to provide new artillery ammunition soon, new reports say.
According to Bloomberg, Ukraine's current assessment of the situation on the battlefield looks "bleak" as its troops are unable to hold off Russian attacks as they try to ration the number of shells they can fire before completely running out.
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said last weekend that Russian forces are preparing for a new offensive that is expected to start in late May or summer 2024.
According to Ukrainian intelligence, Russian troops could make major advances as soon as this summer, with Russia's President Vladimir Putin still planning to take the Ukrainian capital.
At the moment, some of the heaviest fighting in Ukraine continues west of Adviivka, where Russian forces have reportedly captured several settlements.
Geolocated footage analysed by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) shows that Russian forces have so far advanced into fields south and southwest of Stepove, to the northwest of Avdiivka, and northwest of Lastochkyne, which lies west of Avdiivka.
Ukraine and the Netherlands strike security deal
Zelenskyy and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte signed a deal on Friday under which €2 billion in military aid from the Netherlands will be delivered to Ukraine through 2024, to be followed by further defence assistance over the next 10 years.
"I am grateful to Prime Minister Rutte for this agreement, which will strengthen the protection of Ukraine, including the city of Kharkiv, where we met today," Zelenskyy wrote in a social media post on X.
"According to the document, the Netherlands also supports Ukraine's future membership in the EU and NATO."
The deal was signed in the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv.
"Ukraine is now assured of our ongoing support and engagement: not only across the spectrum of defence cooperation, but also in the areas of reconstruction, sanctions and the fight for truth and justice," Rutte wrote on X.
"We stand side by side with Ukraine, together with a broad, international coalition of like-minded countries," he continued. "My visit today made it all the more clear to me that Putin cannot be allowed to win this barbaric war. Ukraine must prevail. Humanity must prevail. Peace and justice must prevail."