The Russian Wagner militia has admitted to fighting fierce battles in the city of Bakhmut, Donetsk Province, in eastern Ukraine, while the European Union intends to pump more billions of dollars to support Kiev with weapons in its war against Russia.
And these Russian special military forces announced the reinforcement of their positions in the eastern regions of Bakhmut.
On the other hand, the spokesman for the Ukrainian forces in the east, Serhiy Cherivati, said that the Russian forces continue to try to launch attacks towards the center of Bakhmut, stressing that his forces continue to defend their positions.
So far, Wagner's forces - with the support of the Russian army - have not been able to completely encircle Bakhmut, as there is still an open supply route for Ukrainian forces west of the city.
The Ukrainian leadership decided a few days ago to continue fighting in Bakhmut as part of a strategy aimed at draining the Russian forces until the time for the spring offensive that Kiev is preparing for.
In the areas controlled by Russia in eastern Ukraine, Russian courts on Friday sentenced 3 Ukrainian soldiers, including a human rights activist, to long prison terms after convicting them of attempted murder and mistreatment of civilians.
The Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned these provisions, describing them as "illegal and invalid", and called on the international community to "condemn" them and "demand" the release of the soldiers.
"The sham trial invented by the Russian Federation aims to legitimize another political reprisal against Ukrainian citizens," the ministry said.
Last year, Moscow declared the Donetsk and Luhansk regions in eastern Ukraine part of Russia after referendums that were condemned by Kiev and the West.
European support
Amid these field developments, Reuters quoted a senior EU official on Friday that the EU may soon inject an additional 3.5 billion euros ($3.7 billion) into the fund used to buy weapons for Ukraine.
Under a plan drawn up by European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, EU countries will get financial incentives worth 1 billion euros ($1.06 billion) to send more artillery shells to Kiev, while the bloc will allocate another 1 billion euros to fund joint purchases of new missiles.
"If we reach an agreement on this two-billion-euro package, the European Peace Facility's (EFF) resources will run out," the European official said, referring to the fund used to finance arms purchases for Kiev.
"It is up to member states to decide if and when they want to agree to this proposed new amount of 3.5 billion euros," he added.
Kiev uses the missiles at a rate that exceeds the ability of its partners to manufacture them, and it also urged the European Union countries to partner together to purchase one million 155-millimeter shells this year, at a cost of 4 billion euros, to help them confront the war and launch a counterattack.
The EU official said that one million shells would be sufficient for Ukraine for between 3 and 5 months, "depending on the tactical situation on the ground".
But Western stocks are about to run out after more than a year of war, and the delivery of 155mm artillery shells takes up to a year from the time they are ordered, according to the official.
As part of Western support, London and Paris agreed to train Ukrainian marines.
At his summit with French President Emmanuel Macron yesterday in Paris, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: "We agreed to train the Ukrainian marines, which helps give their country an important advantage on the battlefield with the aim of winning the war."
The British Prime Minister noted that the two countries share a special bond and a special responsibility when Europe's security is at stake, adding that they will always be at the forefront of Europe's defense.