Al Jazeera correspondent reported the escalation of shelling on towns and cities west of Bakhmout (eastern Ukraine), at a time when the head of the pro-Russian Donetsk region, Denis Pushlin, acknowledged that the situation in the city is still difficult, and that Kiev does not intend to withdraw its forces from the city.
Russian forces, led by Wagner's special group, have been trying to encircle and capture the eastern Ukrainian city for months, as it has turned into one of the bloodiest battles of the more than year-old war.
Russia, which refers to Bakht by its Soviet-era name (Artyomovsk), says capturing the city would allow it to launch more attacks more invasively into Ukrainian territory, which it says it is fighting to "liberate" it.
In an interview on state television on Thursday, Bushlin said that "the situation in Artyomovsk remains complex and difficult; we do not see that there is any basis for assuming that the enemy will simply withdraw its units."
Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of the Wagner Group, said his forces controlled practically half of the city, leaving only one exit available to Ukraine.
Russian attacks
Meanwhile, the Ukrainian General Staff announced the repulsion of more than 70 attacks on the contact lines in several areas, most notably Bachmut and Kharkiv, and confirmed that Russian forces do not stop trying to attack towards the city of Bakhmout, and the General Staff announced the failure of two attacks in two towns northwest of the city.
The Ukrainian operations room published scenes of direct confrontations between Ukrainian forces in the 67th Brigade and forces belonging to the Wagner militia in one of the regions of eastern Ukraine.
The chamber did not specify the location of the operations, although the activity of the Wagner militia is concentrated around the city of Bakhmut, which it is besieged from several sides.
On the Russian side, media reported that the Wagner militia reached the town of Khromovo (northwest of Bakhmout), located on the last supply route of the Ukrainian army in the city.
The sources added that fierce battles are taking place in the vicinity of the town, after the Wagner militia took control of the road that passes through it towards the neighboring city of Chasov Yar.
As the battles in Pakhmot approach the completion of their eighth month, the Russians are ramping up pressure to seize Bakhmut, seeking their first victory in months, while the Ukrainians cling to the city, as its fall opens the way for Russian forces to advance on major cities in Donetsk such as Kramatorsk and Slovensk.
Western ammunition
On the other hand, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said that it is very important to provide Ukraine as soon as possible with new munitions, to enable it to stand up to the "Russian invasion."
In a speech to deputies of the Bundestag, Schulz said the EU summit would outline the first steps to reform the new package to be sent to Ukraine.
The German chancellor stressed that his country is "ready to open its supply projects to other member states," stressing that Europe's leading economic power "will continue its political, financial, humanitarian and military support to Ukraine as long as necessary."
Also in Germany, the CEO of the German defense company Rheinmetall said on Thursday that the company can meet about 50% of Ukraine's ammunition needs, and that it expects a decision from Berlin and Kiev to establish a tank factory in Ukraine within the next two months.
Rheinmetall produces ammunition and other military equipment, as well as the Leopard battle tanks that Germany decided to send to Ukraine, which the company manufactures in cooperation with Krauss Mavai Wegmann.
European Commissioner for Industry Thierry Breton recently announced that Europe would move to increase its production of munitions destined for Ukraine, including "15 factories in 11 EU countries."
"The tragic war in Ukraine started by (Russian President) Vladimir Putin is turning into a head-to-head trench war, and there is of course a race to send as much ammunition as possible from both sides," he told Radio Monte Carlo on Monday, noting that Ukrainians "depend" on Europe for their supply of munitions.
This comes as the Wall Street Journal reported, citing US officials, that Washington is withdrawing ammunition from several countries to help Kiev prepare for a counterattack.
Kiev has been demanding more ammunition for weeks to defend itself against Russia, and the Ukrainian military has regularly warned of a shortage of 155mm shells for its guns.
Tanks & Planes
On Wednesday, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Ukraine's allies had pledged to help it militarily with more than 150 German-made Leopard tanks. He added that Ukraine will be able to form more than 9 brigades thanks to those tanks.
Some Western countries have already sent the first Leopard tanks to Ukraine, and according to military experts, these modern tanks will help the Ukrainian army launch a major counteroffensive expected this spring.
Also in the context of Western support for Ukraine, Polish President Andrzej Duda announced on Thursday that Warsaw will transfer to Ukraine 4 Soviet-designed MiG-29 fighter jets in the coming days.
Duda told reporters: "In a first phase, we will move in the coming days. 4 fully operational aircraft for Ukraine."