Ukraine's commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrsky said Saturday that the situation on the eastern front has "deteriorated significantly" in recent days amid mounting Russian attacks.
Syrsky, who took over as commander-in-chief in February after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky relieved his popular predecessor, Valery Zaluzhny, also said that Russian forces had superior weapons.
He spoke of "a significant intensification of the enemy's offensive after the presidential election in Russia" last month, adding that decisions were being made "to strengthen the most problematic defense areas with electronic warfare and air defense."
Ukraine has said the situation around the eastern frontline city of Chasiv Yar is "difficult and tense," with the area under "constant fire."
Chasiv Yar lies 20 kilometers west of Bakhmut, which was flattened by months of artillery fire before it was captured by Moscow last May.
Russia has recently secured its first territorial gains since seizing Bakhmut and is now trying to press forward against Ukrainian units, whose ammunition and weapons stocks are quickly drying up amid delays in Western military aid.
"The enemy is actively attacking our positions in the Lyman and Bakhmut sectors with assault groups supported by armored vehicles. In the Pokrovsk sector, they are trying to break through our defense using dozens of tanks and armored personnel carriers," Syrsky said.
He noted that Russia was "stepping up its efforts by deploying new armored units, which periodically achieves tactical success."
"The issue of achieving technical superiority over the enemy in high-tech weapons has again arisen. Only this will enable us to defeat a larger enemy and create conditions for seizing the strategic initiative," Syrsky said.
"The second serious problem is to improve the quality of training of military personnel, especially infantry units, so that they can make the most of all the capabilities of military equipment and Western weapons," he added.
