Anxiety grips Ukraine as Russia gains ground before pivotal U.S. election

Eastern Ukraine, adjacent nan Russian border — Former President Donald Trump has said many times that he would "very quickly" extremity Russia's warfare connected Ukraine. He moreover promised that, if he wins nan U.S. election successful November, he'll "get it settled earlier I moreover go president."

Many leaders successful Ukraine and Europe fearfulness that would mean cutting disconnected nan proviso of U.S. weapons and trying to unit Ukraine's leaders to springiness up Russian-occupied parts of nan state successful return for a truce.

From F-16 combatant jets to Patriot rocket defense systems and artillery, nan U.S. has been nan main supplier of weapons to Ukraine, providing much than $60 cardinal successful subject assistance since Russia launched its full-scale penetration successful precocious February 2022.

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CBS News met nan troops of Ukraine's 80th Air Assault Brigade successful October, adjacent to nan Russian border. They were utilizing a birch wood to thief screen their positions, and their American-supplied Stryker fighting vehicles equipped pinch .50-caliber American-made instrumentality guns.

Ukrainian forces utilized nan Strykers — each 1 an 18-ton hulking beast of armor-plated alloy — to motorboat their incursion into Russia's Kursk region successful August. The brazen violative was aimed astatine weakening Moscow's relentless rocket and drone attacks connected Ukraine. But conscionable 2 months later, by immoderate estimates, Russian troops are gaining crushed successful eastbound Ukraine faster than astatine immoderate different clip since nan early months of nan war.

President Vladimir Putin's forces now power an estimated 20% of territory crossed eastbound Ukraine's Donbas region.

Viktor Zakarov was a motortruck driver earlier nan war. Now he's a soldier, driving a Stryker. He told CBS News that he was profoundly grateful to nan U.S. for nan Strykers and nan different aid.

A Ukrainian worker is seen connected apical of a U.S.-supplied Stryker armored conveyance successful nan acold eastbound of nan country, adjacent nan beforehand statement and nan Russian border, successful October 2024. CBS News

Asked if he had seen nan armored vehicles prevention Ukrainian lives, he didn't hesitate.

"Seen it, heard it and felt it," he said.

"We ne'er had thing for illustration this before," he said of nan vehicles. "It's overmuch much protected."

American weapons person helped clasp nan Russians back, but immoderate Ukrainian will quickly opportunity they request much weapons, pinch much reach, to really push them successful nan different direction.

"First of all, I want to opportunity a large convey you to each Americans for what we already have," added Zakarov. "Of course, if you inquire maine what we need? More vehicles, much armored vehicles, to extremity Russians somewhat further distant — deed deeper wrong Russia."

The U.S. was supporting Ukraine agelong earlier nan full-scale warfare erupted. In 2014, erstwhile Ukrainians roseate up to topple their pro-Russian government, Sen. John McCain was successful Kyiv, telling nan country's people: "This is your moment!"

John McCain Street successful Ukraine's superior was named successful nan precocious senator's honor. 

But Putin responded to nan toppling of his adjacent state successful Kyiv a decade agone by sending troops into eastbound Ukraine. It was past that Russian-backed forces seized power of nan Crimean Peninsula and parts of nan Donbas, contempt protestations from Washington and its European allies. Russia has held those areas ever since — and taken important caller crushed astir them.

With nan results of nan U.S. statesmanlike predetermination excessively adjacent to telephone and nan early of captious American support arsenic uncertain, nan temper successful Ukraine has turned gloomy, and anxious.

Halina, who's hubby is fighting for Ukraine's subject successful nan warfare against Russia's invasion, speaks pinch CBS News analogous Holly Williams astatine her consequence and rootlike stall successful Kyiv, Ukraine, successful October 2024. CBS News

Halina, who sells consequence and vegetables successful Kyiv and worries astir her hubby disconnected serving connected nan beforehand lines, told CBS News that Ukraine's forces would bent on, but she hopes they won't person to do it without American backing.

She said she was worried that Trump, if he wins different word successful nan White House, will trim disconnected nan captious American support.
"For us, it's a matter of survival," she said, wiping distant tears. "My individual family communicative — my husband's family is surviving nether [Russian] business successful nan Kherson region… To my family, it matters a lot, this war."

"We are really strong. We will clasp on," she said. "We dream America will support helping us, and not wantonness us."

In:
• War
• Joe Biden
• Ukraine
• Donald Trump
• Russia
• Vladimir Putin
• Volodymyr Zelenskyy
• 2024 Elections