Germany and US to send more heavy weapons to Ukraine as Russian forces advance in Donbas region

Barely two weeks after the last Ukrainian soldiers in the port city of Mariupol surrendered to the Russian army in hopes of a prisoner swap, Ukraine may lose yet another major center in the Donbas— the city of Sievierodonetsk. Reportedly, there is fighting in the streets, and Russian soldiers are said to have advanced to the city center. Sievierodonetsk and neighboring Lyssychansk are the last major cities in the Luhansk area — the Donetsk and Luhansk regions are known collectively as the Donbas — still controlled by Kyiv. According to Ukraine's General Staff, Russia is intent on capturing Sievierodonetsk. Ukrainian troops defending the region risk being trapped, as they were in Mariupol.

Sievierodonetsk is also known for the fact that the first attempt to divide Ukraine was made there almost 20 years ago. On November 28, 2004, the so-called All-Ukrainian Congress of Deputies of All Levels convened in the city, attended mainlyby representatives of the pro-Russian Party of Regions. The party, formed in the Donbas, dominated the region. Against the backdrop of the pro-Western Orange Revolution protests in the capital Kyiv, it threatened to declare autonomy, with Kharkiv as its center and including eight eastern and southern Ukrainian regions as well as Crimea and Sevastopol.

Sievierodonetsk and neighboring Lyssychansk are of strategic importance because this part of the Donbas connects with other regions of Ukraine. The main focus is on the highway connecting Lysychansk with Bakhmut in Donetsk region. It is used to supply the Ukrainian military. It was also used to evacuate civilians before the route became too dangerous because of shelling. Capturing Sievierodonetsk and Lysychansk would allow the Russian army to reach the region's administrative border. From there, the Russian army could advance further west toward Kramatorsk, another administrative center in the Donetsk region. Kramatorsk is one of the last major industrial cities still fully controlled by Kyiv in the Donbas.

Ukraine's ambassador to Germany, Andriy Melnyk, has welcomed Chancellor Olaf Scholz's announcements on new arms deliveries. It’s a notable change of tone from Kyiv’s top diplomat in Berlin, who has been one of the German government's harshest critics, accusing it of being too hesitant in delivering weapons to Kyiv. Scholz on Wednesday announced in the Bundestag that the modern IRIS-T-SLM air defense system from the Diehl defense company would be supplied to Ukraine. The IRIS-T, developed in collaboration by Germany with other NATO partners, has the ability to target and shoot down other air-to-air and surface-to-air missiles. The chancellor also said Germany would supply Ukraine with radar systems to help locate enemy artillery. "Finally, we can say from the bottom of our hearts to Chancellor Scholz: thank you!" said Melnyk. "Now we can really speak of a turning point for Ukraine. We hope for more modern weapons systems from Germany." Melnyk said he hoped production could begin soon, followed by training and eventual deployment by October.

Slovakia has said it will deliver eight self-propelled howitzers to Ukraine under a commercial contract signed with a state-controlled producer. The ministry said the weapons were Zusana 2 howitzers, a modernized version of an older model that has an effective range of 40 kilometers (25 miles) to 50 kilometers. As well as its long range, the system is known for high accuracy and rate of fire.

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