Ukrainian troops have been struggling to defend areas around their second largest city, Kharkiv. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy traveled there on Thursday to meet with commanders and discuss how they can strengthen their forces.
Zelenskyy has postponed any travel abroad to concentrate on a situation he says is "extremely difficult." He said his troops are inflicting "significant losses" on the Russians but that they urgently need more air defense systems, particularly US-made Patriots.
Ukrainian soldiers say they have struggled to combat waves of Russian drones. Authorities in the region say they have evacuated residents after facing a barrage of missiles.
Zelenskyy also visited wounded soldiers at a military hospital and thanked his troops for not letting the enemy "go forward." Still, once again, he is asking Ukraine's "neighbors and all of Europe" to work together to counter the threat.
NATO commanders say more help is on the way. At a news conference in Brussels, they said they were convinced that there will be some "serious improvements" in the ammunition that Ukraine will receive in the near future.
They added that the Russians do not have the skill or the capability to make a breakthrough and achieve a "strategic advantage." They said they are confident the Ukrainians will "hold the line."