(Bloomberg) -- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy urged the UK to speed up weapons deliveries during a visit by Foreign Secretary David Cameron as ammunition shortages undercut Kyiv’s ability to hold the frontline.

“Providing this package along with a super-important decision from the US on aid is very significant to us at this crucial moment,” Zelenskiy said in Kyiv, according to a post on his Telegram channel, after updating Cameron on the war with Russia. 

Six months of waiting as US Republicans held up a $61 billion aid package had allowed Vladimir Putin’s military to “seize the initiative,” Zelenskiy said last month. Among allies stepping up support, the Netherlands committed an additional €1.4 billion ($1.5 billion). 

The urgency of plugging the scarcity of ammunition is underscored by Russian advances on the eastern city of Chasiv Yar, while air defenses have failed to intercept missile and bomb attacks that have destroyed half of the country’s power generation and frequently kill civilians in Kharkiv and Odesa. Russia shelled Kharkiv again Friday, killing at least one person and destroying private houses, mayor Ihor Terekhov said on Telegram. A search and rescue operation is underway.

Zelenskiy and Cameron also discussed preparations for upcoming international events, including a planned conference on Ukraine’s peace blueprint to be held in Switzerland.

“Ukraine is fiercely defending itself against Russia’s illegal invasion, making a war Putin thought would last days, take years,” Cameron said in Kyiv, according to a UK government statement. “But this war is the challenge of our generation and Ukraine cannot fight it alone.”

The UK doesn’t impose any “caveats” on how Ukraine deploys donated weapons, Cameron said. “Russia has launched an attack into Ukraine, and Ukraine absolutely has the right to strike back at Russia,” he said.

Cameron repeated Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s commitment to spend at least £3 billion ($3.8 billion) a year on military support over multiple years. He said the UK is providing precision-guided bombs, air defense ammunition and equipment for 100 mobile air defense teams to enable Ukraine to shoot down Russian drones and missiles.

A £36 million energy support package includes £20 million in new emergency funding to help repair and protect power plants attacked by Russia, and generators to bolster power supplies.

Russian missile attacks have destroyed multiple power plants across Ukraine in recent months, including the largest in the Kyiv and Kharkiv regions and a hydroelectric generator in Zaporizhzhia. About half of the energy system is destroyed, Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba told Foreign Affairs.

--With assistance from Alex Wickham.

(Adds Cameron’s comments on Ukraine’s use of weapons in 7th paragraph)

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