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Ukraine: Army chief says fighting at front has 'escalated'

April 28, 2024

Kyiv's top general said the frontline situation had deteriorated and that some Russian gains had been made. Ukraine is waiting for desperately needed resupply of battlefield stocks.

https://p.dw.com/p/4fGyp
A Ukrainian soldier fires an artillery in the direction of Siversk, Donetsk Oblast
Ukrainian frontline troops are in need of urgent resupply and are outnumbered by Russian forcesImage: Wolfgang Schwan/Anadolu/picture alliance

The commander-in-chief of Ukraine's armed forces on Sunday said that the situation on the frontline had worsened and reported that Russian forces had made battlefield gains.

"The situation on the front has escalated," Oleksandr Syrsky said in a Facebook post on Sunday.

"Seeking to seize strategic initiative and break through the frontline, the opponent focused major efforts in multiple directions, creating a significant advantage in forces and resources," Syrsky said.

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Russian forces 'achieved some tactical success'

Kyiv's top general said some positions were "changing hands several times during the day."

With some of the fiercest fighting taking place near Avdiivka, Syrsky said that Ukrainian troops had tactically retreated along three sections of the frontline in the eastern Donetsk region.

Syrsky conceded that Russian forces had "achieved some tactical success in these directions, but could not gain an operational advantage."

He added that Ukrainian forces were inflicting "maximum losses, both in personnel and military equipment."

Meanwhile, Russia's Ministry of Defense on Sunday said that its forces had destroyed ammunition depots and military equipment located at three airports across Ukraine, with the ministry saying these attacks had taken place over a 24-hour period.

Ukraine waits for resupply

The latest situation report from the battlefield comes as Kyiv waits for urgently needed replenishment of battlefield resources, including manpower.

On Friday, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced $6 billion worth of military aid for Ukraine, and installment from the $61 billion approved by Congress.

Western military experts have warned that Moscow could seize upon the current situation and "intensify ongoing offensive operations and missile and drone strikes in the coming weeks," as the Washington-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW) explained last week.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has made repeated appeals for more Patriot air defense systems amid repeated Russian attacks on cities and critical infrastructure.

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kb/dj (AFP, AP)