KYIV: Ukraine said on Monday Russian forces were ramping up their attacks and trying to gain more territory before Kyiv’s army received more foreign military aid, including F-16 fighter jets.
The Ukrainian military has noted steady Russian advancements in the eastern Donetsk region and further south, areas where Ukrainian forces are facing significant challenges due to shortages in manpower and ammunition.
“The enemy is well aware that as a result of the gradual receipt of a significant amount of weapons and military equipment from our partners, and the arrival of the first F-16s, which will strengthen our air defence, time will play in our favour and its chances of success will decrease,” stated Ukrainian army chief Oleksandr Syrsky.
Syrsky explained that Russian command is striving to increase the intensity and geographical spread of hostilities. This strategy aims to deplete Ukrainian forces, disrupt the training of reserves, and hinder Ukraine’s capacity to transition to active offensive actions.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, speaking at a peace summit in Switzerland over the weekend, emphasized that the current level of international military aid is insufficient and that deliveries are arriving too slowly. He called on allies to expedite the delivery of promised F-16 fighter jets and to send more air defence systems.
Syrsky highlighted that Russian forces are focusing their firepower on the Donetsk region, particularly around the Pokrovsk front. This area is strategically important as it includes a key transit artery and supply route linking northern civilian hubs to towns in the southern part of the industrial region. The Kremlin has declared the Donetsk region as part of Russia.
This assessment comes shortly after regional authorities in the southern Kherson region, partially occupied by Russia, reported the death of a 50-year-old civilian in a drone attack. Additionally, Russian forces targeted “civilian infrastructure” in the eastern Poltava region, according to its governor, Filip Pronin. The attack resulted in nine injuries and damage to several multi-story buildings.
