The Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj has described the situation in the heavily contested city of Soledar in the eastern region of Donetsk as highly tense.
"It's very difficult: There are hardly any intact walls left there," said Zelenskyj in his video message on Tuesday night, looking at the Ukrainian soldiers in the badly damaged city.
His Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maljar also spoke of massive Russian attacks.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) meanwhile defended his course on military support for Ukraine.
The US government declared financial support for the attacked country to be secure, despite a change in the majority in Congress.
Tuesday is the 321st day of the Russian war of aggression.
Ukraine reports heavy Russian attacks on eastern city of Soledar
Despite the difficult situation, Zelenskyy assured: "Even if the occupying forces have now concentrated their greatest efforts on Soledar, the result of this heavy and prolonged struggle will be the liberation of our entire Donbass." The resistance of the Ukrainian soldiers in Soledar gave the whole army time, according to the head of state.
"The battle for Donbass continues."
Deputy Defense Minister Maljar had previously reported that the Russians were continuing to carry out heavy attacks on Soledar.
"After an unsuccessful attempt to capture Soledar in the Donetsk region, the enemy regrouped, changed tactics and launched a new, violent attack," Maljar wrote on Telegram.
On the Russian side, it is primarily members of the notorious mercenary group Wagner who are deployed.
Soledar and neighboring Bakhmut are part of the Ukrainian defensive wall in front of the conurbation between Sloviansk and Kramatorsk.
From the Russian point of view, the capture of this area would be a significant step towards the conquest of the entire Donbass - one of the Kremlin's war aims.
Scholz defends his course for arms deliveries in Ukraine
Chancellor Scholz defended his course on arms deliveries to Ukraine.
At an election campaign event of the Berlin SPD, he countered allegations that he was too hesitant about it.
"Germany is way ahead in supporting Ukraine," said Scholz.
This applies not only to financial and humanitarian aid, but also to arms deliveries.
Scholz had agreed with US President Joe Biden on Thursday to deliver Western-style armored personnel carriers to Ukraine for the first time.
Ukraine has been demanding these tanks for months.
Politicians from the Greens and FDP are now demanding that Scholz follow suit and also deliver the more powerful Leopard 2 battle tanks.
Reservistenverband: Leopard delivery "the next logical step"
The President of the Bundeswehr Reserves Association, Patrick Sensburg, also advocated the delivery of Leopard tanks to Ukraine.
"As an armored personnel carrier, the Marder offers the opportunity to quickly move soldiers from one place to another," he told the editorial network Germany (RND) with a view to the federal government's decision to supply Marders.
"It is most effective in combination - ideally, of course, with the Leopard battle tank.
That's why the support with battle tanks is the next logical step.” The delivery of battle tanks of a different type from another country is also conceivable.
Biden adviser: Ukraine aid for 2023 "rock solid" secured
The US government believes that financial support for Ukraine is secure despite a change in the majority in Congress.
With the new budget, financial aid for Kyiv is "rock-solid" for most of 2023, Biden's national security adviser Jake Sullivan said on the sidelines of a visit to Mexico.
The new budget earmarks 45 billion US dollars (42 billion euros) for Ukraine aid, although the government has only requested 37 billion.
Biden signed the new budget law, which provides for billions in aid for Ukraine, at the end of December and thus put it into effect.
The new budget finances government business until September 2023. The decision came shortly before the majority change in Congress: last week the Republicans took control of the House of Representatives.
Moscow: Russian ombudswoman wants to meet Ukrainian colleague
According to information from Moscow, the human rights commissioner of the Russian government, Tatyana Moskalkova, wants to meet her Ukrainian colleague Dmytro Lubinets in Turkey this week.
"I confirm that I am planning such a meeting," Moskalkova told journalists, according to the Russian news agency Interfax.
The talks are to be held on the sidelines of a summit that will be attended by human rights officers from various countries from Thursday to Saturday.
Initially, there was no confirmation from Kyiv.
That will be important on Tuesday
Top representatives of the EU and NATO want to sign a declaration on the further expansion of defense cooperation in the morning (11:00 a.m.).
The aim is to take more coordinated action against common security threats against the background of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine and China's power politics.