No F-16s For Ukraine, US Says As Battle Continues In East: Top Updates

US president Joe Biden said that the country will not provide F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine as Russian forces continue to make gains in the country’s east.

Ukraine was aiming to receive the fighter jets after securing crucial supplies last week, an adviser to Ukraine’s defence minister said.

“The next big hurdle will now be the fighter jets,” Yuriy Sak told Reuters earlier. Ahead of Joe Biden’s remark, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said that his country was facing relentless attacks by Russia in the east, warning that Moscow is aiming to step up its assault further.

Here are the top updates on Russia-Ukraine war:

1. Last week, Germany and the US announced plans to provide heavy tanks to Ukraine.

2. Administrator of Russian-controlled parts of Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk province, Denis Pushilin, said Russian troops had secured a foothold in Vuhledar.

3. Ukraine still controls Maryinka and Vuhledar, where Russian attacks were less intense, according to Ukrainian military analyst Oleh Zhdanov.

4. Kyiv said it had repelled assaults on Blahodatne and Vuhledar.

5; Ukraine’s president Zelensky said Russian attacks in the east were relentless despite heavy casualties on the Russian side. “I think that Russia really wants its big revenge. I think they have (already) started it,” Zelensky said.

6. Russian forces shelled a dozen settlements in the Bakhmut sector over the past 24 hours, the Ukrainian Army general staff said.

7. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Western countries supplying arms leads “to NATO countries more and more becoming directly involved in the conflict – but it doesn’t have the potential to change the course of events and will not do so.”