Russia has increased its troops: Zelenskyy said what could restrain the invaders' offensive

Ukrainian defenders will be able to halt the Russian offensive in the east if there is an increase in the supply of weapons.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated this at a briefing with President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, in Kyiv.

Zelenskyy reminded that 79 years after the defeat of Nazism, Europe has once again become a battlefield. And this battle determines the fate not only of Ukraine but also of other nations.

"In this battle, life must win. Life must win over Russian FABs and guided aerial bombs, Russian missiles, Russian assaults and hatred, which destroy the lives of millions of Ukrainians and target the lives of millions of Europeans," the Head of State said.

When asked by a journalist whether Ukraine has a chance to win the war, Zelenskyy replied that we have no other choice.

"We must defend ourselves. Putin is not going to stop. He is in an informational aquarium. He feels that the West can be divided. And sometimes some representatives of Western countries confirm this - the sanctions are not as powerful. Russians find ways to bypass them. Putin must be stopped, because he will go further," the President is confident.

How to stop Russia

Zelenskyy emphasizes that victory on the battlefield is not enough, because Russia is a large country with large resources, which does not spare its people at all, and use them as cannon fodder.

He reminded that Ukraine is not only fighting for itself but also for the whole of Europe. Therefore, he calls for defeating Putin "politically".

The problem with the supply of weapons

The President acknowledged that Ukraine lacked forces in the east, so Russia had some success in the Avdiivka (Pokrovsk) direction.

"It's indeed a tough situation there. It's been going on for more than a day. In case of an increase in the supply of weapons, we will be able to stop them in the east. They currently have the initiative there. It's no secret. We need to stop them, take the initiative into our own hands. And this can only be done when we have something strong in our hands," Zelenskyy stated.

The Head of State assured that the command knows the names and quantities of everything the military needs. There is an understanding of how many troops need to be rotated out to give them a rest. Rotations are ongoing, and there are plans for them.

"But in addition to these strong brigades being rotated out, fully equipped brigades must come in. Not just strong guys, but strong guys not with bare hands. Mechanized brigades, powerful brigades," Zelenskyy explained.

According to him, there are supplies to Ukraine, however, it is not the volumes that were voted for. According to the President, once the Defense Forces receive these supplies, they will stop Russia's initiative in the east.

"Undoubtedly, taking advantage of this moment, the occupiers increased their troops in the north, in the east, undoubtedly everywhere. Not only in Donbas but also in Kharkiv and Sumy regions. They are increasing something everywhere. We also see troops that could be deployed in one direction or another. If we speak without details, the main thing is that we know, we see the number and we know that everything is not as good as they thought," the President concluded.

Read also:

• The Russians struck Kharkiv region with drones: the Regional Military Administration identified the impact site 

• Russian missile attacks on Ukraine: hydroelectric power plants have been disabled – Ukrhydroenergo 

• Russia struck Zaporizhzhia region 360 times: what is the aftermath?

• The occupiers attacked Kherson region: 66 buildings damaged, one person injured