Russia says its forces will intensify attacks on Ukrainian storage bases housing Western-supplied weapons as the United States is set to get the arms moving to the country "quickly."
Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said on Tuesday Russia “will increase the intensity of attacks on logistics centers and storage bases for Western weapons."
He said Moscow had "dispelled the myth of the superiority of Western weapons."
“In proportion to the threats posed by the United States and its allies, we will continue to improve the composition and structure of the Armed Forces and increase the production of the most popular weapons and military equipment," the defense minister stated.
Ukraine is awaiting US Senate approval of a new aid package worth nearly $61 billion following a vote by the House of Representatives this weekend.
The House on Saturday approved the $95 billion package — which also includes aid for other US allies — after months of delay as some Republican lawmakers opposed further funding for Ukraine.
The aid bill is now due to go to the Senate on Tuesday.
If passed in the upper chamber of Congress, President Joe Biden has said he will sign it into law immediately, so that he "can quickly send weapons and equipment to Ukraine to meet their urgent battlefield needs.”
In a message on X, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said Biden promised that Kiev could expect badly needed weapons to arrive “quickly.” He said Biden assured him that a coming package of aid would also include long-range and artillery capabilities.
The Ukrainian leader said last week that Moscow has 10 times more artillery shells than his country, which is already outgunned after more than two years of war with Russia.
Zelensky also made it clear "we will have no chance of winning," unless aid from the US resumes.