Ukraine is
warily watching
Russia's next military moves
after Kremlin forces
forces captured a key eastern town.
The first major advance
for Russia and Ukraine in months.
CNN's Nick Paton
Walsh is on the ground for us in Ukraine.
And a warning to our viewers,
some viewers may find images
in this report disturbing.
Your body.
A sight not seen for a while.
A Russian flag going up over Ukraine.
But Ukraine's withdrawal,
announced on Saturday from NATO
means more than the loss of a town
bitterly fought over
since Russia first invaded a decade ago.
It is perhaps the first sign
a delay in U.S.
aid spells death and loss here
and puts an end
to these images
released of their last defenses.
Rushing into support
under fire from a resurgent Russia
who President
Zelensky says sent seven
Russian troops to die
for every dead Ukrainian.
This is what it was like in
the basement defending down to the last.
Treating the injured in the darkness, yet
aware their options, their ammo,
their chances were ebbing.
The shelling endless.
It spoiled my drink.
This soldier complains.
For two remaining.
A commander. Clear Monday.
Why this happened?
Well, there's a hotel.
There's a hotel if we choose a hotel.
We didn't have enough people, he says.
We didn't have enough shells.
We didn't have enough possibilities
to throw them back. Calls won't.
Be crippling.
Russia's Ministry of Defense released
images of their final onslaught
on that Coke plant
and what they claimed
were the casualties
inflicted on Ukrainians
as they tried to flee in the dark.
It was clear
other images
and reports emerged Monday in Ukraine
of the fate of their wounded,
one of whom called home
in his last moments.
Allegations that in the horrifying
rubble here,
both the wounded
were left behind by Ukraine,
but also shot dead in cold blood
by Russian forces.
Russian drone
images of their spoils released again,
displaying their odd pride
over the rubble.
Zelensky may have to get
used to more of this.
The dialog is putting on a brave face
as he visited troops in the
likely next Russian target.
Kempinski just outside
Hakki, who's Mobile three.
Although there are different
political sentiments in the world,
he said, different flashes of problems
that distract attention.
We still all together
do our utmost to have the world with us
with Ukraine.
Words no longer enough, not enough,
and certainly not in the West,
where $60 billion in missing aid
now means Putin can slowly edge further
and further west.
Wolf, important to remind viewers
just how incredibly real this
all is, far away
from what
Vice President Kamala Harris,
the weekend called
the political gamesmanship.
That $60 billion
worth of aid came in her song
the southern City that was liberated
from the Russians last year.
It's dark every single night,
light disciplined
because of Russian drones
and shelling and shelling
that has been quite intense.
Tonight,
we heard was unlike automatic
gunfire towards the river
just in the last few minutes or so.
Ukrainians deeply concerned that if DPKO
maybe one of many you heard about
could be honest.
There was Wolinski
was today in the South atop
a tiny village.
There was one rare gain
of the summer counteroffensive
that's under Russian pressure.
Talk of pressure near back
move to the last major town
that Russia took in May of last year
and to other points
along the eastern front
to also under Russian pressure.
Deep concerns.
We're beginning to see a slow change
on the battlefield,
a Russian resurgence in Ukraine.
Finally, you heard there,
less men,
more noise in the distance here,
less manned,
definitely less ammunition
and definitely concerned
that Western need to get strong
since the invasion
may be coming to an end Wolf.
Nick Paton Walsh reporting
from the battlefield in Ukraine for us.
Stay safe over there.
Thank you very much.
Right now, I want to bring in
CNN military analyst, retired
Lieutenant General Mark Hertling.
General Hertling,
thanks so much for joining us.
Ukraine now lost this city
after holding out for a decade
since Russia's first invasion,
going back,
just how significant, general,
is this defeat
and how much is the shortage of U.S.
military aid to Ukraine to blame?
Wolf, as Nick just said,
there are multiple towns
that are being pressured
by Russian soldiers
against Ukraine defenses, a big rank,
Crimean backed mood.
Others that nickname
the Russians are attempting
to put Ukraine
on the defensive everywhere.
They're attempting to mask
preventing them
from conducting the defense
because they don't have the supplies
and the manpower
and the equipment they need.
They are spreading the Ukrainian lines
very thin at all, except Roberti,
which is in the south
that Nick mentioned
are in the western
part of the offensive belt.
If they can get through that area
and they're pressing hard
Dnipro, which is a major city
in the in the western part of Ukraine,
in the eastern part of Ukraine
is going to be threatened.
And that's what's so salacious
about this.
Yeah, it's a serious situation.
General,
what's your message to House Republicans
who are holding up
more than $60 billion
in potential Ukraine funding?
Well,
truthfully, Wolf,
it's a couple of things.
Short term,
they are causing the increased death
of Ukrainian soldiers and citizens.
They are contributing that.
They are increasing the destruction
of Ukrainian infrastructure.
There is the continual holding
of Ukrainian citizens
and children as hostages
in Russia, in Russia,
while all this is going on.
But as you said earlier in the show,
it's emboldening
of Putin and Russian leaders.
It is giving a second wind.
And if these funds are continued
to be held,
held by Congress,
it's going to contribute to a long term
increasing danger
to other countries in Europe,
and it's going to cause increased U.S.
defense spending eventually
and potential conflict for U.S. soldiers.
So, you know,
this has been a conflict
where Ukraine has upheld the sovereignty
and the freedoms of the West
by fighting hard.
We should not let them down right now.
And I implore the Republicans in Congress
to take a vote of which 70%
or higher of American people
support the stand,
to continue
to stand with Ukraine
and get them the equipment
and the and the ammunition
that they need.
They desperately need it right now.
Retired Lieutenant General Mark Hertling,
thanks so much for joining us right now.
I want to get reaction
from the Ukrainian ambassador
to the United States, Oksana Merkava.
Ambassador,
thank you so much for joining us
at this critically important moment.
How much momentum does Putin now have
with this big win in of of DEFCON?
Thank you all for having me.
Well, it's
I wouldn't call it a win
because they didn't take the city.
They just destroyed the city,
as they do
with all of our towns and cities
during this horrible, aggressive,
genocidal war.
And it was wise decisions
for our commanders
to save the personnel, of course.
But as as you rightfully said
and to your correspondent on the ground
is six, eight months ago
we were
at least around
the parity was the artillery shells.
Now the ratio is 1 to 6 at most.
So look, you know, nothing changed.
Ukrainian people are as motivated,
our brave defenders, as brave
as we discussed with you
in this studio previously,
a number of times.
It's just a function of weapons.
If we can have more weapons now,
if we can double down on our efforts,
not only we will continue
holding the lines,
we will continue to liberate and free.
And those Ukrainians
who suffer as we speak
because they are tortured
and killed everywhere.
But you know,
it is a pivotal moment
and we have to double down.
We have to get more in order
to be able to save lives.
And frankly,
not only for Ukraine,
we have to be able to win.
We cannot allow Putin to advance
in Ukraine and advance in the minds of
the people
in Russia and
outside of Russia
that autocracies
are stronger than democracies.
We should prove that we are stronger.
So.
So, Ambassador,
what is your message to House Republicans
right now here
who are holding up more than $60 billion
in new U.S.
military aid to your country?
Do you blame them
for these setbacks
in Ukraine that we're seeing?
Well, there is only one here to blame.
It's Putin and Russians
who started this aggressive war
ten years ago exactly today
and who restarted it two years ago.
And my message
to all Americans
who as a Republican or Democrat.
Well, first of all, thank you.
Thank you for standing with us.
All this very difficult two years.
And the second message is,
this is the time to stay the course.
This is the time to double down on look,
everything you helped us with
during the two years
really worked really great.
That 50% of the territories
we liberated the Black Sea.
We are moving ahead in rebuilding
Ukraine and we can do it together.
When something works,
you don't change it.
You just do more of it.
And it's time
to actually provide us
with more help,
which we use very transparently
and very efficiently,
and which will bring peace closer
and which will allow all of us
to stop Putin
while it's still in Ukraine
and not to allow him
to start and spread this war
where Ukrainian,
not only Ukrainian,
but American soldiers
will have to fight, defend,
and the need to allies.
We still are not asking
the boots on the ground.
We only ask for weapons
and financial resources in order to fight
an enemy who 70% of Americans
consider is an enemy
Russian country or unfriendly country.
So I know that American
people support us.
We just have to start
taking the decisions and and and win.
It's a critically important moment
right now.
Ambassador Oksana Makarova,
thanks, as usual, for joining us.
And good luck to you.
Good luck to all the people of Ukraine.
God bless you, Wolf.