Russian forces have launched a new offensive this year, taking advantage of their greater numbers and firepower, particularly in the eastern Donetsk region.
“The front-line situation has deteriorated,” Oleksandr Syrsky stated in a Facebook post on Sunday.
He explained that Ukrainian troops had to “retreat” to new defensive positions further west, acknowledging that the Russian advance led to the loss of territory.
“The enemy is focusing its efforts in several areas, achieving a significant advantage in both troops and equipment,” Syrsky noted.
He admitted that Russia had achieved “tactical successes in some areas.”
Earlier on Sunday, Russia’s defense ministry claimed that its troops had taken control of the village of Novobakhmutivka in eastern Donetsk, about 10 kilometers (6 miles) north of Avdiivka, which Russia captured in February.
Ukraine’s forces are outnumbered across the battlefield, and the country is struggling to recruit enough soldiers to replace those killed, injured, or worn out by the ongoing conflict, now in its third year.
With two years having passed since Russia’s invasion, Ukraine is shifting its strategy to focus more on defense.
Ukraine is also awaiting billions of dollars’ worth of US weapons, which they hope will end their ammunition shortages and help stabilize the front lines. However, Kyiv’s leaders have warned that the military situation could worsen before these weapons arrive.
Kyrylo Budanov, head of intelligence at the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence, stated earlier this month that the battlefield could be at its most challenging between mid-May and early June.
