The fighting for the administrative center of Sievjerodonetsk in eastern Ukraine continues with undiminished intensity.

Russia has increased the use of artillery and deployed more attack troops to revive the offensive in the Donbass, said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday night.

But the Ukrainian defenders held all contested points such as Sievjerodonetsk, Lyssychansk or Avdiivka.

Selenskyj spoke of difficult but also historic days that the country was facing.

"Tomorrow will start a truly historic week when we will hear from the European Union the answer on Ukraine's candidate status," said Zelenskyy.

Precisely because of this decision, Russia will "demonstratively step up its hostile actions," targeting not only Ukraine but also other European countries, he warned.

On Friday, the EU Commission recommended granting Ukraine candidate status.

However, all 27 member states still have to agree to this.

The final decision is to be made at the EU summit on 23/24.

June fall.

EU Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen, in her own words, firmly believes that Ukraine will receive candidate status, as she said on Sunday evening on the ARD talk show "Anne Will".

US think tank: Russia's offensive is faltering

According to military experts from the Institute for the Study of the War (ISW), the Russian offensive in Donbass has stalled.

Russia's superiority in artillery armament has so far not been sufficient for the capture of Sieverodonetsk.

"Russia's concentrated artillery capability, coupled with arguably weakened infantry units, remains insufficient to make Russian advances in Sieverodonetsk," the ISW said in its analysis.

Moscow troops continued to fight for control of the city but made little progress.

Russian military speaks of progress

The Russian military, on the other hand, speaks of a positive development of its own offensive.

According to their own statements, the Russian troops took Metjolkine, a suburb of the former city, on Sunday.

In addition, a command post of the Ukrainian armed forces with high-ranking officers in the Dnipropetrovsk region was destroyed by a rocket attack.

"The strike killed more than 50 generals and officers of the Ukrainian armed forces, including general staff officers and the command staff of the Kakhovka unit, airborne troops and units operating in the Mykolaiv and Zaporizhia regions," said Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov.

Ukrainian foreign minister emphasizes will to fight

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitro Kuleba stressed his people's will to fight.

Even in the event of an end to western arms supplies, Ukraine would continue to fight against Russia.

"If we don't get weapons, okay, then we will fight with shovels, but we will defend ourselves, because this war is a war for our existence," Kuleba said in English on the ARD talk show "Anne Will" on Sunday evening.

“So the sooner we get guns, the sooner they are sent, the greater the help to us.

If weapons are sent later, we will still say "thank you", but then a lot will be lost, many people will have died."

That brings the day

The war in Ukraine and support for the country attacked by Russia are the focus of a summit and economic forum of the states of the so-called Three Seas Initiative.

The group, founded by Poland and Croatia in 2015, includes twelve EU countries in Central and Eastern Europe between the Baltic, Adriatic and Black Seas.

The two-day meeting, which begins on Monday (1 p.m.) will take place in the Latvian capital, Riga.

The EU foreign ministers meet in Luxembourg.

This meeting will also focus on the latest developments in Ukraine.