Russian forces have tightened their grip on a strategic industrial city in Ukraine, as part of its efforts to control the Donbass region in the east of the country, while Washington continues to provide "generous" military aid to the Ukrainian army to confront Moscow's operations.
According to Reuters, Russia has targeted railways used to transport weapons from Kyiv's western allies as the war approaches its 100th day on Friday.
Russia accused the United States of pouring "oil on the fire" after President Joe Biden announced a $700 million arms package to Kyiv that included advanced missile systems with a range of up to 80 kilometers.
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky said at a forum in Slovakia on Thursday that Kyiv was grateful for the military assistance it had received but added that "the supply of arms must be increased...to push the war to a turning point."
The Biden administration confirmed that Ukraine had pledged not to use missile systems to strike targets inside Russia, and Biden hopes that expanding the range of Ukrainian artillery will help push Russia to negotiate an end to the war that has killed thousands, flattened cities and towns and forced more than six million people to flee the country.
Hold on to the weapon
Ignoring Moscow's criticism of the US decision, Andrei Yermak, Ukraine's chief of staff, said, "Ukraine needs weapons to liberate Ukrainian lands temporarily occupied by Russia. We are not fighting on Russian soil, we are interested in our sovereignty and territorial integrity."
Moscow has said that it considers the Ukrainian infrastructure used to bring in Western weapons a legitimate target in the framework of operations it says seeks to disarm Ukraine and rid it of what it describes as extremist nationalists.
"Supplying (Western) weapons to Ukraine does not change all parameters of the special operation," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on a conference call, adding that it would bring more suffering to Ukraine.
Lviv Governor Maxim Kozytsky said four Russian missiles hit railway infrastructure targets in two places in the country's western region on the Polish border late on Wednesday, injuring five people and causing extensive damage.
Donbass focal point
Zelensky told the Luxembourg parliament via video link on Thursday that Russian forces currently occupy about 20 percent of all Ukrainian territory and that the front lines now extend more than 1,000 km.
On Thursday, Britain's Ministry of Defense said in a daily update that Russian forces, backed by heavy artillery, had captured most of the city of Severodonetsk - largely in ruins - after days of heavy fighting.
"The enemy is carrying out offensive operations in Severodonetsk," the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces said on Thursday, adding that Russian forces were also attacking other regions in the east and north-east of the country.
Other officials said at least four civilians were killed and 10 wounded in eastern and northeastern Ukraine, while Russia denies targeting civilians.
And if Russia had completely captured Severodonetsk and Lyschansk on the west bank of the Seversky Donets, it would have taken Lugansk, one of two regions in the Donbass.
Ukrainian General Oleksiy Gromov told a news briefing that Russian forces were trying to attack the village of Brestov, which is located on a main road linking Lysechansk - which is also under Russian bombardment - to the rest of the country.
Donetsk Governor Pavlo Kirilenko noted that Russian forces are trying to advance south towards Kramatorsk and Slovyansk, two major cities in Donetsk province controlled by Ukraine.
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- Agencies