Ukraine's military is switching to modern weapons in order to repel off eastern assault

Ukraine's military commander, Gen. Valeriy Zaluzhny said on Sunday that the country plans to transition to using modern weapons that meet NATO standards, as experts say the country continues to repel Russia's assault on its eastern region.

According to The New York Times, Zaluzhny made the remarks during a phone call with Gen. Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the United States.

The country has been relying on Soviet-era weapons delivered by its allies, though it has recently received some NATO-compliant weapons that have yet to be integrated into its defense effort.

Milley also spoke with Poland's chief of general staff, Gen. Rajmund Andrzejczak, on Saturday to discuss Russia's "ongoing invasion of Ukraine and the responses of the United States and Poland," according to a readout.

According to Col. Dave Butler, a spokesman for the Joint Staff, the United States and Poland "continue to share a strong defense relationship and cooperate on a wide range of programs."

In a Saturday analysis update, the Institute for the Study of War, a Washington, D.C.-based think tank, said that Russian troop reinforcements recently sent to eastern Ukraine are "unlikely to enable stalled Russian forces to achieve substantial advances."

Savelii, 10, reacts at his father's grave in Irpin, Ukraine, where he died defending Irpin city as a member of territorial defense on Sunday. Image: Mikhail Palinchak/EPA-EFE

The reinforcements are "unlikely to enable Russian forces to break the current deadlock," according to the think tank because Russian attacks are limited to two major highways and "cannot leverage greater numbers."

According to the think tank, Ukrainian forces have launched several successful counterattacks from Kharkiv and recaptured a ring of suburbs, which may "force Russian forces to redeploy units intended for the Izium axis to hold these positions."

On Sunday, Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov paid a visit to Yagidne and Lukashivka, two villages in the Chernihiv region that had been liberated, according to officials.

According to the Institute for the Study of War, Ukrainian forces may be able to launch larger counterattacks "in the coming days."

Russia has sent weapons and military equipment to Ukraine's border by rail, according to the Ukraine Defense Ministry. Russia has sent weapons and military equipment to Ukraine's border by rail from three of its military districts and its Northern Fleet, according to the Ukraine Defense Ministry.

The statement reads, "There is a threat that the enemy will launch missile strikes on military and civilian infrastructure throughout Ukraine from the territory of the Republic of Belarus, as well as provocations by the enemy on the specified section of Ukraine's state border."

According to the ministry, Russian forces continued to carry out airstrikes and artillery fire on Khariv on Sunday as their forces "strengthened" their offensive operations toward Izium.

Ukraine's Defense Ministry stated, that nine Russian attacks in the Donbas region were "repelled," and dozens of military vehicles, including eight tanks, were reportedly destroyed.

The military updates came as Ned Price, a spokesman for the US State Department, said on Saturday that the US will begin initial visits to Lviv this week as part of its plan to return diplomats to the country "as soon as possible."

In a readout, Price said, "Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken spoke today with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba to follow up on their April 24 meeting in Kyiv."

"In the face of Russia's brutal aggression, the Secretary emphasized the US' strong support for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity."

Blinken and Kuleba also discussed President Joe Biden's administration's request to Congress on Thursday for $33 billion in security, economic, and humanitarian aid "to empower Ukraine to defeat the Kremlin's unconscionable war," according to Price.

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