Difficult to hide it.
President Volodymyr Zelensky admitted Monday that the Ukrainian army was facing an “extremely difficult” situation facing Russian forces, who he said were taking advantage of Western delays in providing military aid.
“The situation is extremely difficult at several points on the front line, where Russian troops have concentrated maximum reserves.
They are taking advantage of the delay in aid to Ukraine,” Volodymyr Zelensky said in his daily message, adding that his country lacked artillery and needed anti-aircraft defense for the front line as much as weapons of war. longer range.
I am returning from our warriors' positions in the Kharkiv region.
The situation on the frontline is extremely difficult in several areas, particularly where Russian forces have concentrated the majority of their reserves.
They are taking advantage of delays in military aid… pic.twitter.com/1KFIZy5c7E
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) February 19, 2024
Russian forces are on the offensive in eastern and southern Ukraine and have just captured the disputed town of Avdiivka in the Donetsk region, achieving their first major gain since the capture of Bakhmut in May 2023. On Monday, the Ukrainian army said it was facing "heavy fire" from Russian forces on the offensive in the Zaporizhia region in the south of the country.
Ukrainian commander Oleksandr Tarnavsky said Moscow's troops were launching multiple attacks, including near the village of Robotyne, one of the few places where Ukraine had managed to regain ground during the Ukrainian counter-offensive. last summer.
The Russian army is trying to advance “small assault groups supported by armored units,” he said on Telegram.
Also readAfter the capture of Avdiivka, how far will the Russian offensive continue?
“These offensive attempts were stopped, the enemy was eliminated on the outskirts of Robotyne,” said Commander Tarnavsky, who commands Ukrainian forces in the region.
Like many towns in eastern Ukraine, Robotyne was completely razed after months of artillery exchanges.
Russian President Vladimir Putin hailed the capture of Avdiivka as an “important victory” for his troops, days before the second anniversary of the start of the Russian invasion on February 24.