Ukraine's Commander-in-Chief: Fiercest fighting continues near seven cities
Photo: Ukraine's Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi (president.gov.ua)
As of today, the fiercest fighting on the front is taking place near seven cities in the Donetsk, Kharkiv, and Zaporizhzhia regions, according to the Commander-in-Chief of Ukrainian Armed Forces, Oleksandr Syrskyi.
He specifically mentioned a conversation with the Chief of the French General Staff, Fabien Mandon, during which he briefed him on the situation in the combat zones.
"The situation along the front line remains difficult. The fiercest fighting continues in the areas of Kupiansk, Lyman, Siversk, Kostiantynivka, Pokrovsk, Myrnohrad, and Huliaipole," Syrskyi noted.
The Commander-in-Chief also raised the issue of Ukraine's key defense needs, including pilot training for Mirage aircraft, strengthening air defense, and other aspects of defense cooperation.
Syrskyi separately praised the leadership of French President Emmanuel Macron, who is consolidating partner efforts around the idea of deploying multinational forces in Ukraine as security guarantees.
Situation on the frontline
Recently, the situation in the South has intensified. Today, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited the Zaporizhzhia region for a meeting with the command following the withdrawal of the Defense Forces from Rivnopillia.
Additionally, the strengthening of the Stepnohirsk direction and civilian evacuation were discussed. After the visit, Zelenskyy announced a meeting of the Staff to determine measures for the protection of Zaporizhzhia and the region.
The situation remains difficult in Pokrovsk, Donetsk region. Recently, Russian forces attempted to enter the town with light vehicles and achieved partial success. Defense Forces report that the enemy is being destroyed both in the town and on the approaches.
In an interview with Bloomberg, Zelenskyy said that any decision to withdraw troops from Pokrovsk is up to the military commanders on the ground.
Earlier, Oleksandr Syrskyi emphasized that there is no Russian control over Pokrovsk and that the Defense Forces are not surrounded.
He also confirmed that Russian forces have captured three settlements in the Zaporizhzhia region.
