00:00 Putin's victory march inches closer to another Ukrainian city.
00:07 Biden administration shares new intel with Zelensky's army.
00:14 Is the fall of Kharkiv imminent?
00:20 After Kiev accused Moscow of resuming its military activity in the area, the White House
00:25 National Security Adviser has issued a strong warning to Ukraine, speculating that Russian
00:30 forces might be getting ready to launch a major offensive on the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv,
00:36 also known as Kharkov.
00:38 On Friday, President Volodymyr Zelensky and the Ukrainian Defense Ministry declared that
00:43 Russia attacked multiple locations along the country's border with the Kharkiv region.
00:49 Later in the day, John Kirby, the spokesman for the White House National Security Council,
00:54 told reporters that Washington is worried that Moscow is planning a large-scale attack
00:58 on the second most populous city in Ukraine.
01:02 During a virtual press briefing, Kirby stated, "It is certainly possible that the Russians
01:07 are setting themselves for a larger assault on Kharkiv.
01:11 You are not going to do that if you are not also thinking about some other larger assault
01:16 directly on the city.
01:18 This comes as a major development as the tensions between Russia and Ukraine continue to escalate.
01:23 This news coincides with the US supplying $400 million more in arms to Kiev to prevent
01:29 Moscow from potentially pushing for Kharkiv.
01:32 Moscow has not disclosed any details about its action close to Kharkiv.
01:37 However, this is indeed a matter of fact that Russia is actually getting closer to the Ukrainian
01:42 city.
01:43 Ukrainian forces recently were forced to evacuate two significant settlements in the Donbas
01:48 and Kharkiv region last week.
01:51 These developments were made public by the Russian Defense Ministry, providing insight
01:55 into how the conflict is changing.
01:57 According to a statement released by the Russian Defense Ministry on Monday, the village of
02:01 Kotlyarovka in the northern Kharkiv region of Ukraine was successfully taken over by
02:06 the Russian forces belonging to the Western Group.
02:09 This tactical breakthrough locates the settlement about 25 kilometers east of Kopyansk, which
02:14 has been recognized as a vital hub for Ukrainian logistics.
02:18 For Russia, taking this city was strategically significant because it could reopen a door
02:23 to a direct assault on Kharkiv or support the ongoing operations in the Donbas region.
02:28 The announcement of the seizure of Kotlyarovka follows the circulation of footage on various
02:33 Russian telegram channels last week.
02:36 This visual evidence highlighted the tangible gains made by Russian forces on the ground.
02:41 In recent months, Ukrainian forces have repeatedly attempted to attack indiscriminate drone,
02:46 artillery and missile attacks on Russian border regions, particularly Belgorod, using Kharkiv
02:51 as a launch pad.
02:53 In the meantime, the US unveiled its third $400 million aid package in as many weeks.
03:00 Additionally, Washington has also authorized the $30 million emergency sale of three Himmars
03:05 system, which will be financed by Germany.
03:08 Even though the US last month approved the long-awaited $61 billion aid package for Ukraine,
03:13 Kiev officials have told Financial Times that the aid would only help to slow down but not
03:18 stop the Russian advance, and so the report of Russia inching closer to Kharkiv could
03:23 indeed be true.
03:25 Meanwhile, Moscow has stated that the new weapon delivery by the West to Ukraine will
03:29 not succeed in turning the tide of the conflict.
03:32 According to the Defense Minister of Russia, Sergei Shoigu, Russian forces are in full
03:36 control of the battlefield situation and are steadily advancing.
03:41 Throughout April, Ukrainian forces lost around 1,000 soldiers per day on average, the minister
03:46 stated earlier this month, estimating that Kiev's military losses are as of now at 1,100,000
03:56 this year alone.
04:03 (upbeat music)
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