The situation on the Eastern Front has “considerably deteriorated in recent days”, Ukrainian Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrsky said on Saturday, noting an “intensification” of the Russian army’s offensive, which is pushing in particular in direction of Chassiv Yar. “The situation on the Eastern Front has deteriorated significantly in recent days. This is mainly due to a significant intensification of the enemy’s offensive after the presidential elections in Russia”, which took place in mid-March, he wrote on Telegram.
The Russians step up the pressure
The Russian army is attacking Ukrainian positions in the Lyman and Bakhmut sectors “with assault groups supported by armored vehicles”, as well as in the Pokrovsk sector, he said. “This is made possible by the hot and dry weather, which made most of the open areas accessible to tanks,” explained Oleksandr Syrsky.
Despite the losses, the Russian army deploys “new armored units”, which allows it to achieve “tactical successes”. The Russians have intensified their pressure around Chassiv Yar in recent days, with this key eastern locality now finding itself “under constant fire”, according to kyiv. This city, perched on a height, extends less than 30 kilometers southeast of Kramatorsk, the main city in the region under Ukrainian control and an important railway and logistics hub for the Ukrainian army.
Oleksandr Syrsky affirmed that the “most problematic” areas had been reinforced, in particular with anti-aircraft defense means. “The question of technical superiority over the enemy in the field of high-tech weapons arises again,” he said. “Only in this way can we beat a bigger enemy,” added the Ukrainian commander, judging that it was also necessary to “improve the quality of training of military personnel”.
kyiv demands more ammunition
kyiv has been asking its Western allies for more munitions and air defense systems for months. But aid is running out due to political blockages in Washington, forcing Ukrainian soldiers to save their ammunition. The Ukrainian army is also struggling to recruit, facing larger and better-equipped Russian forces.