Western allies pledge precision rockets, missile systems to Kyiv

"If weapon deliveries are accelerated, particularly with long-range weapons, we will not only not withdraw from Bakhmut, but we will also begin to de-occupy Donbas," he said of Ukraine's eastern region. 

President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine has called for sophisticated weapons to help retain control of the embattled eastern city of Bakhmut. (AFP)