Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says that defending Ukraine and the Ukrainian people is “the fight for our lives.”

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While Russian forces have continued strikes across Ukraine in its bid to seize the Donbas after refocusing its resources, its progress has been slower than expected, according to Western officials. A senior U.S. Defense official, speaking to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity, said that Ukraine’s strong defensive efforts have stalled Russia’s advance by “at least several days.”

“We also assess that because of this slow and uneven progress, again, without perfect knowledge of every aspect of the Russian plan, we do believe and assess that they are behind schedule in what they were trying to accomplish in the Donbas,” the official said.

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