The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, is currently in Paris on Friday to attend the signing of a security agreement between France and Ukraine.

On Thursday, the office of French President Emmanuel Macron revealed the agreement, however, specific terms were not disclosed.

The French presidency stated that during Zelenskyy’s visit, Macron will confirm France’s commitment to offer steadfast assistance to Ukraine and its people, for an extended period of time and in collaboration with all allies.

Zelenskyy’s office announced that he will be visiting Germany on Friday to meet with Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

Zelenskyy is scheduled to participate in the Munich Security Conference on Saturday, alongside a series of other global meetings taking place this week.

On Thursday, defense leaders from NATO gathered in Brussels to converse about methods of continuing their assistance for Ukraine in its fight against the Russian invasion that started almost two years ago.

On Thursday, NATO’s Secretary-General, Jens Stoltenberg, stated that member nations must ramp up their military production in order to provide Ukraine with necessary weapons, supplies, and ammunition.

Stoltenberg anticipates that the U.S. Congress will reach an agreement for a new aid package for Ukraine, as their previous funding expired in December.

The leader of NATO stated to the media that backing Ukraine is not a gesture of goodwill, but rather an investment in our own safety.

On Thursday, Stoltenberg stated that the destruction of a Russian navy landing ship in the Black Sea by a Ukrainian attack demonstrated the significance of backing Ukraine’s military.

Yesterday, Ukrainian forces successfully attacked a Russian naval ship, showcasing their competence and ability to launch deep strikes beyond Russian borders,” Stoltenberg told journalists.

The Russian vessel involved in the attack, according to the Ukrainian military, was identified as the Caesar Kunikov and was located in the vicinity of Alupka, a city in Crimea.

The Kremlin declined to comment when questioned about the attack on Wednesday.

Since the invasion by Russia, Ukrainian military has successfully destroyed multiple vessels belonging to the Russian Black Sea fleet.

On Thursday, Ukraine reported that multiple regions were targeted by a barrage of missiles from Russia. Officials in Belgorod, Russia also stated that an attack from Ukraine resulted in the deaths of at least five individuals.

The governor of the Belgorod region, Vyacheslav Gladkov, stated that 18 additional individuals sustained injuries in the attack by Ukraine.

The Russian Defense Ministry stated that they have successfully destroyed 14 rockets in the Belgorod region. This area is situated close to the Ukrainian border and has been a target of multiple attacks from Ukraine.

According to Ukrainian authorities, the Russian missiles launched on Thursday resulted in the death of at least seven individuals and caused damage to several buildings. Another assault later claimed the lives of four additional people.

Four individuals were injured and a school and shop sustained damage in the city of Zaporizhzhia as a result of the Russian attack, according to local authorities.

Missiles from Russia were aimed at Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine. Officials stated that their air defense systems successfully intercepted and destroyed all of the missiles, and there were no reports of any injuries.

According to the Ukrainian air force, Russia fired a total of 26 missiles, but half of them were successfully destroyed by Ukrainian air defenses.

Ukraine says it will strategically redeploy troops to the Avdiivka area to strengthen itself against the “extremely critical” conditions. The town now has fewer than 1,000 residents, despite its pre-war population of 32,000.

The 3rd Assault Brigade announced on Telegram that it was quickly relocated to provide support to Ukrainian troops in the Avdiivka region.

According to the message, the situation in the city is dire as the enemy has around seven brigades positioned in our section.

The Donetsk oblast is in danger of being taken over by Russia as their troops have surrounded the town on three sides, cutting off all alternative supply routes for the Ukrainian people. Russia has been attempting to capture the town since October and by the end of January, their forces had advanced to the outskirts. If Moscow were to break through the Ukrainian defense, it would be the biggest territorial acquisition since May of last year.

Russia has placed about 50,000 troops on the Avdiivka front, with its tactical groups growing in number.

According to Ukrainian military spokesperson Dmytro Lykhoviy, there is currently a movement in Avdiivka to strategically relocate our troops to more favorable locations and potentially remove Russian forces from their current positions. This was stated during a televised announcement.

Per Maksym Zhorin, the deputy leader of the group, the level of intensity in the conflict exceeded that of previous battles, as Kyiv’s forces were at a notable disadvantage in terms of both numbers and firepower. The soldiers are fatigued after nearly two years of fighting with limited artillery supplies.

The commander of the brigade remarked that the battles in Avdiivka were significantly more intense than the fiercest battles in Bakhmut during this phase of the war.

The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse, Radio Free Europe, and Reuters provided some of the information used in this report.

Source: voanews.com