Ukraine’s top military general, Oleksandr Syrskyi, has warned that the battlefield situation in the east of the country has sharply deteriorated. He cited increased enemy offensive actions following the recent presidential elections in Russia as the primary reason for this escalation. Russian forces have been attacking Ukrainian positions in the Lyman and Bakhmut areas of the Donetsk region, using armored vehicles including tanks and infantry fighting vehicles. Despite suffering significant losses, the enemy has been deploying new units with armored vehicles and achieving occasional tactical success.
Russia’s military objectives in the near term appear to be to capture the rest of the Luhansk and Donetsk regions in eastern Ukraine, areas that they currently only partially occupy. The Russian forces have made some advances in recent months, benefiting from their advantage in manpower and supplies of artillery shells. On Saturday, Russia’s defense ministry claimed they had captured another village, Pervomaisk, in Donetsk, but this claim has not been independently verified. Ukraine has been facing acute shortages of artillery in parts of the eastern front and has been urging its international allies for more artillery and ammunition support, with $60 billion of new military aid remaining blocked by U.S. Republicans.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned that Ukraine could lose the war if Congress does not approve more aid, while defense experts have cautioned that the conflict could shift in Russia’s favor this year. The new head of Ukraine’s armed forces, Col. Gen. Syrskyi, has stated that he is taking necessary measures to stabilize the situation, enhance troop effectiveness, and cause maximum losses to the enemy in eastern Ukraine. Problematic areas of defense are being strengthened with electronic warfare and air defenses, drone stocks have been replenished, and anti-tank missiles have been relocated.
Syrskyi emphasized the need for Ukraine to gain a technological advantage over Russia, as high-tech weapons would enable them to defeat an enemy larger in numbers and seize the strategic initiative. He called for the improvement of training for troops, especially infantry units, to maximize the capabilities of combat equipment and Western weaponry. The goal is to ensure that Ukrainian forces are fully prepared to confront and overcome the challenges posed by the Russian military in the ongoing conflict. Despite the difficulties faced by Ukraine, Syrskyi is determined to enhance the capabilities of the armed forces and continue to resist Russian aggression in the eastern region of the country.
