Washington DC - President Donald Trump vowed to send additional weapons to Ukraine, triggering Russian criticism after Moscow claimed new gains in its grinding war against its neighbor.

Moscow warned Tuesday that sending arms to Ukraine only serves to prolong the conflict, a day after Trump's pledge for "more weapons" for Ukraine to defend itself.

"It is obvious of course that these actions probably do not align with attempts to promote a peaceful resolution," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov was quoted by Russian news agencies as saying in a briefing.

Trump's announcement marked a sudden U-turn after his administration last week said that it was halting some weapons shipments to Kyiv, leaving Ukrainian officials caught off guard and scrambling for clarity.

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A pause poses a potentially serious challenge for Kyiv, which is contending with some of Russia's largest missile and drone attacks of the more than three-year war.

"We're going to have to send more weapons – defensive weapons primarily," Trump told journalists at the White House.

"They're getting hit very, very hard," he said of Ukraine, while adding that he was "not happy" with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Trump has reportedly promised to immediately send 10 Patriot interceptors to Ukraine, according to Axios.

The US president's pledge to ship more arms to Ukraine came after Moscow said Monday that its forces captured its first village in Ukraine's central Dnipropetrovsk region after advancing towards it for months.

Russia launched a fresh large-scale drone and missile barrage before the announcement, including on Ukraine's military recruitment centers.

Kyiv also said it carried out a drone attack on a Russian ammunition factory in the Moscow region.

Kyiv has long feared halts to US aid after Trump returned to the White House in January, having criticized the tens of billions of dollars in support and weapons sent by Biden.

Under the Biden administration, Washington committed to providing more than $65 billion in military assistance to Ukraine.

Trump has announced no new military aid packages for Kyiv since taking office for the second time.

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The Republican instead has pushed the two sides into peace talks, including in phone calls with Putin. The Russian leader has rejected pleas for a halt to the fighting and demanded Ukraine cede more territory if it wants an end to the war.

Ahead of Trump's remarks on Monday, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky said air defense remained the "top priority for protecting lives," and his country was counting on partners to "fully deliver on what we have agreed."