Ukraine's Zelenskyy says "we are preparing" for a major Russian offensive

Ukraine is readying soldiers for a awesome Russian violative that is expected successful nan coming months, apt earlier nan summertime begins, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Sunday.

Zelenskyy emphasized that overseas assistance "has to extremity up successful tangible limb systems," specifically, important long-range artillery, to springiness Ukraine a chance astatine victory. His remarks came 1 time aft nan House a $60.8 cardinal assistance measure for Ukraine, which will now spell to nan Senate and President Biden for last signature. 

In a separate question and reply Sunday greeting connected "Face nan Nation," Sen. Mark Warner, a Virginia Democrat who heads nan Senate Intelligence Committee, said that he hopes nan U.S. will beryllium capable to nonstop assistance shipments "with that longer-range ATACMS" arsenic soon arsenic possible. Warner told "Face nan Nation" moderator Margaret Brennan that shipments should spell retired quickly erstwhile nan legislature assistance package passes nan Senate and reaches Mr. Biden, connected Tuesday aliases Wednesday.

"I dream erstwhile nan President signs ... that these materials will beryllium successful transit by nan extremity of nan week," said Warner. "It's intelligibly been nan lawsuit that nan Ukrainians morale has been great, but it's been undermined complete nan past mates of months, erstwhile they person been virtually fixed retired rationed bullets, 8 to 10 bullets a day. And connected artillery shells — Russians 10 to 1 — you can't underestimate that Ukrainians' grit, determination. But if they don't person nan materials, they can't transportation this conflict to nan Russians." 

Zelenskyy told "Meet nan Press" moderator Kristen Welker that being adequately prepared intends having nan weapons and instrumentality needed to conflict backmost against nan impending "full-scale" attack, and receiving those supplies earlier it happens.

Russian rockets are launched against Ukraine from Russia's Belgorod region, seen from Kharkiv, Ukraine, connected Thursday, April 18, 2024. Evgeniy Maloletka / AP

"We are preparing. The unit is preparing. The soldiers are engaged successful training," he said successful translated remarks during nan "Meet nan Press" interview. "And I don't want to repetition myself, but we are waiting for nan limb systems because we want to person nan brigade afloat equipped. Some of them are exhausted. We request to switch them. But these caller brigades, they person to person nan equipment."

Ukrainian troops managed to stave disconnected Russian advancements done nan wintertime but struggled to contend pinch Russia's seemingly limitless banal of missiles and shells, which person decimated immoderate places and allowed for increasing business successful nan East. 

During an question and reply respective weeks agone successful an undisclosed, bombed-out building successful far-eastern Ukraine, Zelenskyy told a CBS News team that his country's intelligence officials anticipated different awesome violative from invading Russian troops successful June, or, perchance moreover sooner, astir nan extremity of May. At nan time, he pressed for support from Ukraine's allies, including nan United States, to thief nan state take sides itself. 

"And earlier that, we not only request to prepare, we not only request to stabilize nan situation, because nan partners are sometimes really happy that we person stabilized nan situation," Zelenskyy said. "No, I opportunity we request thief now."

Zelenskyy told Welker connected Sunday's "Meet nan Press" that nan Kremlin intends to mobilize 300,000 troops by June 1. But Russia is readying to prehend nan eastbound city of Chasiv Yar overmuch earlier than that, by May 9, he said. Near nan occupied metropolis of Bakhmut, Chasiv Yar is still controlled by Ukraine but has been ravaged by Russian firepower successful caller months and could beryllium nan adjacent metropolis to fall, pinch pleas for reinforcement coming from nan troops stationed there.

"I visited nan region recently. I talked to nan soldiers. The soldiers opportunity that they deficiency equipment," Zelenskyy said Sunday. "They request to conflict Russian reconnaissance drones, which fundamentally guideline nan artillery. And we request artillery shells. I dream we will beryllium capable to stay, and nan weapons will travel connected time, and we will repel nan force and past we'll break nan plans of nan Russian Federation pinch regards to this full-scale offensive."

Sen. Mark Warner connected "Face nan Nation," April 21. 2024. CBS News

Zelenskyy had noted connected "Meet nan Press" that U.S. assistance would not only fortify Ukraine successful its defense against Russia, but besides "send nan Kremlin a powerful awesome that it will not beryllium nan 2nd Afghanistan" — which fell to nan Taliban arsenic U.S. troops withdrew successful 2021 — "and nan United States will enactment pinch Ukraine, will protect nan Ukrainians, and they will protect populist successful nan world."

Sen. Dan Sullivan, an Alaska Republican who supports sending subject assistance to Ukraine, referred backmost to that constituent in different "Face nan Nation" interview Sunday. 

"I judge powerfully that nan weakness coming retired of nan Biden White House ... and nan botched withdrawal from Afghanistan emboldened Putin to undertake nan penetration of Ukraine. So we've sewage to remember, benignant of broadly, much strategically, wherever we are," Sullivan said. "But arsenic you know, I was a protagonist of nan defense supplemental. And I deliberation it's not conscionable going to beryllium important for Ukraine, arsenic you and I person talked astir before, it's going to beryllium really important for nan business guidelines of America, which has atrophied dramatically."

Still, Sullivan did not respond definitively erstwhile asked whether erstwhile President Donald Trump would proceed to enactment pinch Ukraine if he were to beryllium elected again successful November. "Listen, I can't guarantee anything," he said. 

In:
• United States Congress
• Ukraine
• Russia
• Vladimir Putin
• Volodymyr Zelenskyy