Video shows Ukraine's last moments of defense in Avdiivka

Ukraine is warily watching Russia's next military moves after Kremlin forces forces captured a key eastern town. The first major advance for Russia and Ukraine in months. CNN's Nick Paton Walsh is on the ground for us in Ukraine. And a warning to our viewers, some viewers may find images in this report disturbing. Your body. A sight not seen for a while. A Russian flag going up over Ukraine. But Ukraine's withdrawal, announced on Saturday from NATO means more than the loss of a town bitterly fou

ght over since Russia first invaded a decade ago. It is perhaps the first sign a delay in U.S. aid spells death and loss here and puts an end to these images released of their last defenses. Rushing into support under fire from a resurgent Russia who President Zelensky says sent seven Russian troops to die for every dead Ukrainian. This is what it was like in the basement defending down to the last. Treating the injured in the darkness, yet aware their options, their ammo, their chances were ebb

ing. The shelling endless. It spoiled my drink. This soldier complains. For two remaining. A commander. Clear Monday. Why this happened? Well, there's a hotel. There's a hotel if we choose a hotel. We didn't have enough people, he says. We didn't have enough shells. We didn't have enough possibilities to throw them back. Calls won't. Be crippling. Russia's Ministry of Defense released images of their final onslaught on that Coke plant and what they claimed were the casualties inflicted on Ukrain

ians as they tried to flee in the dark. It was clear other images and reports emerged Monday in Ukraine of the fate of their wounded, one of whom called home in his last moments. Allegations that in the horrifying rubble here, both the wounded were left behind by Ukraine, but also shot dead in cold blood by Russian forces. Russian drone images of their spoils released again, displaying their odd pride over the rubble. Zelensky may have to get used to more of this. The dialog is putting on a brav

e face as he visited troops in the likely next Russian target. Kempinski just outside Hakki, who's Mobile three. Although there are different political sentiments in the world, he said, different flashes of problems that distract attention. We still all together do our utmost to have the world with us with Ukraine. Words no longer enough, not enough, and certainly not in the West, where $60 billion in missing aid now means Putin can slowly edge further and further west. Wolf, important to remind

viewers just how incredibly real this all is, far away from what Vice President Kamala Harris, the weekend called the political gamesmanship. That $60 billion worth of aid came in her song the southern City that was liberated from the Russians last year. It's dark every single night, light disciplined because of Russian drones and shelling and shelling that has been quite intense. Tonight, we heard was unlike automatic gunfire towards the river just in the last few minutes or so. Ukrainians dee

ply concerned that if DPKO maybe one of many you heard about could be honest. There was Wolinski was today in the South atop a tiny village. There was one rare gain of the summer counteroffensive that's under Russian pressure. Talk of pressure near back move to the last major town that Russia took in May of last year and to other points along the eastern front to also under Russian pressure. Deep concerns. We're beginning to see a slow change on the battlefield, a Russian resurgence in Ukraine.

Finally, you heard there, less men, more noise in the distance here, less manned, definitely less ammunition and definitely concerned that Western need to get strong since the invasion may be coming to an end Wolf. Nick Paton Walsh reporting from the battlefield in Ukraine for us. Stay safe over there. Thank you very much. Right now, I want to bring in CNN military analyst, retired Lieutenant General Mark Hertling. General Hertling, thanks so much for joining us. Ukraine now lost this city after

holding out for a decade since Russia's first invasion, going back, just how significant, general, is this defeat and how much is the shortage of U.S. military aid to Ukraine to blame? Wolf, as Nick just said, there are multiple towns that are being pressured by Russian soldiers against Ukraine defenses, a big rank, Crimean backed mood. Others that nickname the Russians are attempting to put Ukraine on the defensive everywhere. They're attempting to mask preventing them from conducting the defe

nse because they don't have the supplies and the manpower and the equipment they need. They are spreading the Ukrainian lines very thin at all, except Roberti, which is in the south that Nick mentioned are in the western part of the offensive belt. If they can get through that area and they're pressing hard Dnipro, which is a major city in the in the western part of Ukraine, in the eastern part of Ukraine is going to be threatened. And that's what's so salacious about this. Yeah, it's a serious

situation. General, what's your message to House Republicans who are holding up more than $60 billion in potential Ukraine funding? Well, truthfully, Wolf, it's a couple of things. Short term, they are causing the increased death of Ukrainian soldiers and citizens. They are contributing that. They are increasing the destruction of Ukrainian infrastructure. There is the continual holding of Ukrainian citizens and children as hostages in Russia, in Russia, while all this is going on. But as you sa

id earlier in the show, it's emboldening of Putin and Russian leaders. It is giving a second wind. And if these funds are continued to be held, held by Congress, it's going to contribute to a long term increasing danger to other countries in Europe, and it's going to cause increased U.S. defense spending eventually and potential conflict for U.S. soldiers. So, you know, this has been a conflict where Ukraine has upheld the sovereignty and the freedoms of the West by fighting hard. We should not

let them down right now. And I implore the Republicans in Congress to take a vote of which 70% or higher of American people support the stand, to continue to stand with Ukraine and get them the equipment and the and the ammunition that they need. They desperately need it right now. Retired Lieutenant General Mark Hertling, thanks so much for joining us right now. I want to get reaction from the Ukrainian ambassador to the United States, Oksana Merkava. Ambassador, thank you so much for joining u

s at this critically important moment. How much momentum does Putin now have with this big win in of of DEFCON? Thank you all for having me. Well, it's I wouldn't call it a win because they didn't take the city. They just destroyed the city, as they do with all of our towns and cities during this horrible, aggressive, genocidal war. And it was wise decisions for our commanders to save the personnel, of course. But as as you rightfully said and to your correspondent on the ground is six, eight mo

nths ago we were at least around the parity was the artillery shells. Now the ratio is 1 to 6 at most. So look, you know, nothing changed. Ukrainian people are as motivated, our brave defenders, as brave as we discussed with you in this studio previously, a number of times. It's just a function of weapons. If we can have more weapons now, if we can double down on our efforts, not only we will continue holding the lines, we will continue to liberate and free. And those Ukrainians who suffer as we

speak because they are tortured and killed everywhere. But you know, it is a pivotal moment and we have to double down. We have to get more in order to be able to save lives. And frankly, not only for Ukraine, we have to be able to win. We cannot allow Putin to advance in Ukraine and advance in the minds of the people in Russia and outside of Russia that autocracies are stronger than democracies. We should prove that we are stronger. So. So, Ambassador, what is your message to House Republicans

right now here who are holding up more than $60 billion in new U.S. military aid to your country? Do you blame them for these setbacks in Ukraine that we're seeing? Well, there is only one here to blame. It's Putin and Russians who started this aggressive war ten years ago exactly today and who restarted it two years ago. And my message to all Americans who as a Republican or Democrat. Well, first of all, thank you. Thank you for standing with us. All this very difficult two years. And the seco

nd message is, this is the time to stay the course. This is the time to double down on look, everything you helped us with during the two years really worked really great. That 50% of the territories we liberated the Black Sea. We are moving ahead in rebuilding Ukraine and we can do it together. When something works, you don't change it. You just do more of it. And it's time to actually provide us with more help, which we use very transparently and very efficiently, and which will bring peace cl

oser and which will allow all of us to stop Putin while it's still in Ukraine and not to allow him to start and spread this war where Ukrainian, not only Ukrainian, but American soldiers will have to fight, defend, and the need to allies. We still are not asking the boots on the ground. We only ask for weapons and financial resources in order to fight an enemy who 70% of Americans consider is an enemy Russian country or unfriendly country. So I know that American people support us. We just have

to start taking the decisions and and and win. It's a critically important moment right now. Ambassador Oksana Makarova, thanks, as usual, for joining us. And good luck to you. Good luck to all the people of Ukraine. God bless you, Wolf.