Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin just made a surprise visit to Ukraine. His second trip to the war zone since the Russian invasion. And it comes as the Pentagon unveiled another $100 million in military aid. Cnn's Anna Karen has the latest on The War from King.

Meandering through the marsh lands of Hearson region in Southern Ukraine is the mighty Dniepro River, now the new front line in Ukraine's war against Russia. In recent weeks, Marines have managed to cross this expanse water using inflatable boats, establishing a tenuous foothold on the left bank of the river. Hey, am I in Vietnam? Asked this soldier sarcastically, rushing past tall grasses. A reference to another bloody conflict that ended before most of these soldiers were even born. According to Ukrainian armed forces, they've pushed back the Russians three to eight kilometers, two to five miles from the riverfront, making it difficult for the enemy to fire mortars are positioned on the right-hand. However, Russian drones, artillery, and aerial glided bombs are still landing and constantly. In exclusive access with drone pilot, Sir He, his night mission had just been aborted because the Russians had identified his unit's position on the right bank. Hunkered down in his pickup, hiding under trees from Russian birds above, the 32-year-old former journalist tells me they're under constant bombardment. What are you hearing?

Explosions. Now there is an attack on the place where I am. There are Kamikaze drones, I think it's Shaheds, rockets, most likely, grots, mortars, and tanks. It's always like that here. Today, they're using guided aerial bombs. Do you hear it, too? That's another one. I think it was a rocket.

The job of his aerial reconnaissance unit is to provide cover for Marines crossing the river and to watch the enemy on the other side. Do you feel safe where you are? No.

It's dangerous here, where we live and where we work. Every time I enter the zone, I say goodbye to my life. But I realize that my life can be ended at any moment. You get used to it, but it's unpleasant.

The reason this left bank operation is so important for Ukraine is to open the road to Russian-occupied Crimea and to protect the nearby city of Kherson. A year ago, the Russians withdrew from Kherson, using the Dynipro River as a defendable natural barrier between the two sides. But in the last month, attacks on Kherson have intensified to the point where the region's military governor told me there were 700 incoming rounds in one day. This is revenge, and now it's felt more, he says, Because our soldiers are already on the left bank, and our civilians are feeling this revenge. Three hundred thousand residents used to live in Herson, now less than a quarter remain, including 56-year-old Inna. She cares for her invalid mother and her four-year-old grandson. Twenty-four hours a day, it's scary. When it's quiet, it's even scarier than when there is shelling. She says she lived through eight months of Russian occupation and will endure as well. Our main task is to survive, she explains. That was the priority during the occupation, and it's the same thing now. We have to survive. A daily struggle for a population that's being constantly terrorized. Anna Koryn, CNN, Keith.

Anna Caren, thank you. Let's get more from Democratic congressman Jason Crow. He sits on the House Foreign Affairs and Intelligence Committee. So, congressman, this new security assistance package for Ukraine, it is one of the smallest yet. How concerned are you that the US is not doing enough to support Ukraine's fight against Russia?

Well, Pamela, as your last piece points out, time is a critical factor here. Getting the right weapons and equipment and support to Ukraine is important, but getting it at the right time is just as important because you can get the right things. But if they're too late, it's not going to matter for the Ukrainian. That's why the clock is ticking. We've got to push this security supplemental through. It's in the best interest of the American people. This is not charity. This is something that's a national security imperative for the United States to protect our 100,000 troops in Europe, to protect our largest trading partners throughout Europe, to make sure there's peace and stability on the European continent, to protect the free flow of food to the entire world, including the United States, this is something we have to get done.

So then how confident are you that additional Ukraine funding will pass the House despite growing opposition from many of your Republican colleagues?

Well, I've learned not to take anything for granted in the United States Congress in my time as a member of the House, that's for sure. I've spent a lot of time the last week, in particular with some of my Republican friends, including we just took a bipartisan congressional trip on behalf of the United States Congress to the Halifax International Security Forum, spoke with a lot of my colleagues. We are still optimistic. We're cautiously optimistic for sure that we can get this done, because the issue is not the vote. There's still overwhelming support within the United States Congress and throughout America, frankly, for Ukraine support the problem is getting to the vote because you still have the Freedom Caucus that's holding up the process of getting this to the floor. So if we got to a vote, it would pass overwhelmingly. We just have to get to that point.