Ukraine continues to find itself embroiled in “high-intensity assault operations” while President Volodymyr Zelensky remains quiet on the firing of army chief Valerii Zaluzhnyi.
Oleksandr Syrskyi, a potential candidate to replace the current army chief, visited troops near Kupiansk in the Kharkiv region and witnessed the “heavy fighting” first-hand.
He wrote on Telegram: “The operational situation remains tense, with heavy fighting along all sectors of the frontline.”
Amid speculation about Zelensky’s potential dismissal of Zaluzhnyi, Syrskyi refrained from addressing the rumours directly but acknowledged the critical issue of troop numbers and Russia’s continued reinforcement.
He noted: “The enemy continues high-intensity assault operations and constantly brings in new reserves.”
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Senior army spokesman, Illia Yevlash, highlighted Ukraine’s challenges. He said: “The Russians are superior in both equipment and personnel. We need a lot of ammunition to destroy such power and intensity.”
In the city of Bakhmut, a focal point of conflict for over a year, Russian forces aim to advance towards the highly militarized town of Chasiv Yar.
A sniper platoon member operating in the area highlighted the toll of continuous fighting, revealing that both Ukrainian and Russian soldiers are exhausted.
He said: “We are in deep defence mode and are holding back the enemy. Both our men and those of the enemy are exhausted.”
