KYIV, Ukraine – Newly appointed Ukrainian military chief Oleksandr Syrsky said Wednesday the situation on the front line was precarious, following a visit to eastern Ukraine with Defense Minister Rustem Umerov.
Russian forces over recent months have been pushing to capture the eastern industrial hub of Avdiivka, and have been claiming incremental gains in the costly battle.
“The operational environment is extremely complex and stressful. The Russian occupiers continue to increase their efforts and have a numerical advantage in personnel,” Syrsky said in a statement on social media.
“We are doing everything possible to prevent the enemy from advancing deep into our territory and to hold the occupied positions,” he added.
Avdiivka lies in the Donetsk region of Ukraine, which has seen the worst fighting of Russian’s nearly two-year invasion and is claimed by the Kremlin to be part of Russia.
Syrsky said he and Umerov had also visited Ukrainian forces further north, near the town of Kupiansk, where Russian troops have been pressing Ukraine’s positions.
“Based on the results of the work, a number of important decisions were made aimed at strengthening the combat capabilities of our military units and preventing enemy actions,” Syrsky said, without providing details.
Meanwhile, Ukraine said it had destroyed another Russian warship in the Black Sea, a key battleground of the nearly two-year war where Kyiv’s campaign has been building momentum.
While the frontline on land has remained static for over a year, Ukraine claims to have put Russia on the defensive in the Black Sea, an area vital for Ukrainian exports.
Its military said its forces together with military intelligence units had “destroyed” the “Caesar Kunikov” Russian landing ship off the coast of the Crimean peninsula.
A large ball of smoke and flames could be seen rising from what appeared to be a ship in footage posted by Ukrainian military intelligence.
“The enemy ship was attacked by Magura V5 maritime strike drones off the coast of the temporarily occupied Crimea near the city of Alupka,” it said.
Moscow said it had downed six Ukrainian drones over the strategic body of water.
Crimea, annexed by Moscow in 2014, has been extensively targeted by Ukrainian drones and missiles since it began its counteroffensive last summer.
Ukraine says its attacks have put a third of Russia’s Black Sea warships out of action since the invasion began, as it seeks to protect its shipping routes and prevent attacks from the sea.