TRANSCRIPT:
Russian forces seized the Kherson region in the early days of their February 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
But late last year they abandoned the regional capital, also called Kherson, and the Dnipro's west bank.
They have since shelled Kherson and other towns from new positions on the east bank.
Ukraine launched a counter offensive against Russia in June - and now President Voldymyr's chief of staff Andriy Yermak has told the Hudson Institute in the US that Ukrainian forces have secured a foothold on the east side of the river.
"Step by step, they are demilitarising Crimea. We have covered 70 per cent of the distance. And our counteroffensive is developing. We know how to achieve victory. President Zelenskyy has a clear plan."
Mr Yermak says in order for Ukraine to maintain its advances, it needs more firepower, and stricter enforcement of sanctions against Russia.
"We need weapons right now. Russia still has air superiority. It is still capable of producing missiles due to the evasion of sanctions. Not to mention the Iranian drones and North Korean artillery rounds. So we need more restrictions against them, and we especially need air defence systems."
Some of the equipment that Ukraine needs is already arriving.
A fleet of heavy machinery has been officially handed over to Ukrainian officials, with responsibility for the backhoe loaders and crawler excavators to representatives of the southern and eastern provinces, which includes the heavily affected regions of Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, and Donetsk.
The US Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink has presided over the ceremony.
"This handover of fourteen excavators is so significant today. We know you could use them to clear rubble, to start restoring infrastructure, to help your families and your communities. I know how hard you are, already, working to repair roads and install water mains, restore heat supplies and build shelters. Local communities are working together with national governments.”
But it is weapons that Ukraine is still hungry for.
The European Union had promised to supply Ukraine with one million rounds of ammunition by spring 2024 - but at a meeting of defence ministers in Brussels, the group has now said that target is unlikely to be reached.
Josep Borrell is the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.
"Well, it doesn't mean that we already have 1 million shots ready by March. So maybe we will not have 1 million by March, but it will depend on how quickly the orders come to the industry and how quickly the industry reacts. ... The industry, according with the commission, has the capacity, by March it will have the capacity of producing 1 million rounds, but an important part of it is being exported and it has to be rerouted and reprioritise. This is about the ammunition issue. We have to provide the industry with a clear horizon. They need predictability on what we expect from them."
German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius says EU members are "working together" with industry to ramp up production.
Mr Borrell says a major issue is the existing export framework.
“Keep in mind the European defence industry is exporting a lot. About 40 percent of the production is being exported to third countries. So there is not a lack of production capacity. It's that they send their products to another market. So maybe what we have to do is to try to shift these production to the priority one, which is the Ukrainians."
But despite these issues, the Ukrainian president remains optimistic.
He has praised the efforts of Ukrainian soldiers in his nightly address.
"Russia is already losing soldiers and equipment under Avdiivka faster and on a larger scale than, for example, under Bakhmut. Withstanding their pressure is extremely difficult. Every soldier of ours holding positions, every soldier carrying out combat missions there, deserves our exceptional gratitude. True heroes!"
