Leaders in Ukraine say they are facing a critical moment. Their forces are being outgunned by Russian troops in the battle for control of the eastern region of Luhansk.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been pleading with his Western allies to send more weapons. But he fears the world is losing interest in helping Ukrainian forces push the Russians back.

His troops have been trading fire with the Russians in the embattled city of Severodonetsk. The city is one of the last holdouts for Ukrainian forces in the east. The front lines have been moving from one neighborhood to another.

Video from the Luhansk police appears to show smoke billowing from a chemical plant. A female resident said her neighborhood has become more calm because the fighting has shifted to the old part of the city. A man with her said the Ukrainians still control the chemical plant and industrial area.

British intelligence officials believe the Russians control most of the city but have made little progress in attempts to encircle it. Local authorities said about 10,000 residents are trapped.

Zelenskyy made a plea to delegates at a European democracy summit in Denmark. He urged them to fast-track Ukraine's entry into the EU. He said that they need to move past this grey area, which is so tempting for Russia. He said they need to move to actions -- that Ukraine should be a part of the "European family."

Zelenskyy added he is worried that Western leaders might start to feel what he called "war fatigue."