US President Donald Trump announced on Monday that Washington will send additional defensive weapons to Ukraine, following Russia’s fresh territorial advances in its prolonged invasion.
The pledge came just days after the White House revealed it was pausing certain weapons shipments to Kyiv, surprising Ukrainian officials who were left seeking clarification.
“They’re getting hit very, very hard,” Trump told reporters, adding that while he was “not happy” with Russia’s Vladimir Putin, he believed Ukraine urgently needed more defensive arms.
Putin’s full-scale invasion began in 2022, and despite diplomatic pressure from Trump and others, the Russian leader has shown no sign of backing down.
Moscow announced on Monday that its forces had captured the village of Dachne in Ukraine’s central Dnipropetrovsk region after months of attacks, marking its first reported gain in the area. Russia also unleashed a wave of drone and missile strikes, including attacks on Ukrainian military recruitment centres.
Kyiv, in turn, reported a drone strike on a Russian ammunition plant near Moscow.
Ukrainian military experts described the situation in Dnipropetrovsk as “difficult” but said troops were holding their positions steadily. The region is strategically significant due to its industrial and mining value, and deeper Russian advances could complicate Ukraine’s logistics and economy.
Previously, the White House had halted some military aid packages that had been planned under former president Joe Biden, without detailing which weapons were affected. The move was reportedly based on a review of US defence priorities.
Kyiv has long feared cuts to American assistance since Trump returned to office in January. Under Biden, the US had provided over $65 billion in military support to Ukraine. Trump has yet to announce new large-scale aid but has instead pressed both sides toward peace talks, efforts that Putin has rebuffed, demanding Ukraine cede more territory.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky repeated that air defence remains his country’s “top priority,” and said Ukraine still counts on its international partners to deliver on promises.
Meanwhile, overnight explosions were reported in Mykolaiv, where shelling sparked a fire and injured a 51-year-old man, according to local officials.
