4 min readFeb 28, 2023 02:19 PM IST
First published on: Feb 28, 2023 at 02:19 PM IST
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy renewed an appeal to allies to take their support to the next level by supplying his country with advanced fighter jets to help repel Russia’s invasion.
In his evening address, Zelenskyy said an attack by what he called “Iranian drones” which killed two emergency workers on Monday showed that Ukraine urgently needs the modern combat aircraft that the US and its partners have so far declined to provide to complement its air defenses.
“We will be able to fully protect the sky when the aviation taboo in relations with our partners is lifted,” Zelenskyy said. President Joe Biden has resisted sending Ukraine F-16 warplanes due to concerns it could further escalate the war, and has highlighted other advanced weapons systems the US and its NATO allies have provided.
On the ground
Ukrainian forces repelled more than 60 attacks in the east on the Kupyansk, Lyman, Bakhmut, Avdiivka, and Shakhtarske axes over the past day, Ukraine’s General Staff said in its morning update on Facebook. Russia is increasing the intensity of assaults, using the “tactics of exhaustion and total destruction,” even as it suffers “significant” losses in personnel, Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Malyar said on Telegram. Russia launched eight missile strikes and 32 air attacks, and fired 85 salvos from multiple-launch rocket systems, while Ukrainian troops shot down 12 drones over the past day, according to the General Staff.
Ukraine’s defense of besieged Bakhmut in the eastern Donetsk region is running out of options, Zelenskyy said, after signalling last week his forces wouldn’t defend the city at any cost.
“The enemy is gradually destroying everything which can be used to protect our positions,” Zelenskyy said in his address, stopping short of announcing a pullout.
‘We do want Ukraine to win’: US
The US has every intention of helping Ukraine to achieve victory over Russia even though the Biden administration has resisted demands to supply F-16s, according to National Security Council spokesman John Kirby.
“At no time have the Russians ever achieved air superiority over Ukraine,” Kirby said in an interview with Bloomberg TV. Ukraine’s greatest need currently is for air defenses and a better capability for combined-arms manoeuvres ahead of an expected counteroffensive in the spring, he said, adding that “we do want Ukraine to win.”
Yellen in Kyiv to show US Support
A week after US President Joe Biden’s surprise visit, US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen arrived in Kyiv by train Monday under similar secrecy to emphasise Washington’s commitment to Ukraine.
She met Zelenskyy and Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal and announced the disbursement of the first $1.25 billion in fresh economic assistance, out of a total $10 billion pledged by Biden’s administration.
Listen to our special conversations from last week, including our Twitter Space analyzing Zelenskyy’s press conference as it happened. We also discussed the military strategies of the war, the impact on energy and the environment, the effect of sanctions including on the wealth of Russia’s oligarchs and what the future holds for Ukrainian refugees.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks during his press conference in Kyiv, Ukraine, Feb. 24, 2023. (AP) 
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