The White House on Thursday warned that the Russian army was on the brink of capturing the eastern Ukrainian city of Avdiivka after months of fighting.

“Avdiivka is at risk of falling into Russian control,’’ White House Communications Director John Kirby said in Washington. “In very large part, this is happening because the Ukrainian forces on the ground are running out of artillery ammunition.’’

Russia is sending waves of conscripts to attack Ukrainian positions.

As the U.S. Congress had not yet passed supplementary legislation for further aid to Ukraine, the urgently needed artillery shells could not be delivered.

According to Ukrainian observers, the situation in Avdiivka, which has been the site of fierce battles since October as Moscow seeks to claim victory ahead of next month’s elections, is also becoming increasingly difficult.

The advance of Russian forces threatened to encircle the Ukrainian defenders.

“We are doing everything we can to ensure that our warriors have enough managerial and technological capabilities to save as many Ukrainian lives as possible,’’ Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Thursday.

The almost destroyed industrial city in the Donetsk region, which was considered the gateway to the regional capital, was captured by Russian-backed fighters in 2014 and later illegally annexed by Moscow.

Mr Kirby said Russian forces had now reached the Ukrainian trench in Avdiivka and were beginning to overwhelm Ukrainian defences.

“The cost of inaction by the Congress is stark. And it’s being borne on the shoulders of Ukrainian soldiers. We need Congress to pass the national security supplemental bill without further delay,’’ Mr Kirby said.

After weeks of negotiations, the U.S. Senate passed a corresponding bill a few days ago.

However, Republicans had a narrow majority in the House of Representatives, and lawmakers from the right-wing fringe of the party had been opposing further U.S. aid for Ukraine.

The package included around 60 billion dollars in aid for Ukraine, the majority of which was earmarked for military support.

(dpa/NAN)