US, allies vow more artillery aid as Ukraine conflict enters new phase

Russia launched dozens of airstrikes across eastern Ukraine overnight on Tuesday amid "another phase" of the conflict, and United States President Joe Biden vowed to send more artillery to Ukraine.

Russia's defense ministry said that "high-precision air-based missiles" had hit 13 Ukrainian positions in parts of the Donbass region, while other airstrikes "hit 60 military assets," including in towns close to the eastern front line.

Ukraine's armed forces also confirmed that fighting had increased throughout the east, just hours after President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Russia had kicked off a widely anticipated offensive in Donbass, Ukraine's industrial heartland.

"The Russian occupiers intensified offensive operations along the entire line of contact," the general staff of Ukraine's armed forces said in a report published early Tuesday.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov appeared to acknowledge the new offensive during an interview with a leading Indian media outlet.

"Another phase of this operation is beginning, and I am sure it will be a very important moment in this entire special operation," Lavrov told India Today on Tuesday.

Ahead of the advance, Ukrainian authorities had urged people in Donbass to flee west to escape, even as officials called off evacuations from front-line cities for a third straight day due to ongoing fighting.

"No matter how many Russian soldiers are brought here, we will fight. We will defend ourselves," Zelensky had said late Monday on messaging app Telegram.

Meanwhile, the leaders of the United States, Britain and Canada pledged to send more artillery weaponry to Ukraine.

In a 90-minute video call, Biden and the allies discussed their diplomatic engagements and coordinated efforts to further impose "severe economic costs to hold Russia accountable," White House press secretary Jen Psaki said.

Biden, when asked by reporters during a visit to New Hampshire if the US would be sending more artillery to Ukraine, replied yes.

Biden is expected to announce another military aid package for Ukraine about the same size as the $800 million in aid announced last week, according to multiple sources familiar with the matter.

If the aid package is as large as expected, it would bring total US military aid to Ukraine since Russia launched a major military operation in February to well over $3 billion.

In London, United Kingdom Prime Minister Boris Johnson told lawmakers, "This will become an artillery conflict, they need support with more artillery, that is what we will be giving them ... in addition to many other forms of support."

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Canada would be sending Ukraine heavy artillery.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Tuesday the Russian armed forces shouldn't be allowed to win in Ukraine.

"Together with our partners in the (EU) and NATO, we are completely united in the opinion that Russia must not win this war," Scholz said.

Agencies contributed to this story.