Russia-Ukraine war: UK PM Sunak pledges long-term support for Ukraine

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak assured Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy that the UK would continue to support Ukraine as it pushes back against Russian aggression. Sunak pledged long-term support for Ukraine following the recent Russian drone strikes across the country.

On Tuesday, the prime minister’s office issued a statement on the call between Sunak and Zelenskyy. During the call, Sunak pledged long-term support for Ukraine from the United Kingdom, with the two leaders discussing the recent Russian drone strikes across the country. Sunak noted the recent delivery of over 1,000 anti-air missiles as an indication of the UK’s commitment to supporting Ukraine in the war effort.

On the same day, the British defense ministry, in its intelligence bulletin, said Ukraine has committed a significant amount of reinforcements to defend Bakhmut in Donetsk in the past 10 days, where heavy fighting has been taking place. The ministry noted that Russian attacks at the front lines on the ground have reduced after peaking in mid-December and that both sides sustained a lot of casualties.

“In mid-December, Russian military and Wagner proxy forces likely increased the frequency of their infantry assaults around the Donetsk Oblast town of Bakhmut. However, many of these operations were poorly supported,” said the ministry.

“Russian offensive operations in the area are now likely being conducted at only platoon or section level. It is unlikely Russia will achieve a significant breakthrough near Bakhmut in the coming weeks.”

Meanwhile, Russian nationalists and lawmakers have demanded that the commanders accused of ignoring dangers be punished following the Ukrainian strike that killed dozens of Russian troops, one of the deadliest in the war so far. Moscow admitted that 63 soldiers were killed during a New Year’s Eve Ukrainian strike that destroyed a temporary barracks in a vocational college in Maviivka.

Russian critics said the soldiers were being housed close to an ammunition dump in the area. The Russian defense ministry said four rockets hit the area from US-provided HIMARS launchers. Some Russian nationalists, as well as Ukraine, have placed the death toll from the strike at hundreds.

Rallies were being held in some Russian cities to commemorate the dead, according to the RIA Novosti news outlet.