The Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Oleksandr Syrsky, stated that the situation on the front has “escalated.” However, according to him, the Ukrainian defense forces are not only retreating under Russian pressure, but are also advancing in some areas.
The Commander-in-Chief emphasizes that Russia is trying to seize the strategic initiative and break through the front line. To do this, it has focused its main efforts on several directions, creating a significant advantage in forces and means.
It should be noted that President Volodymyr Zelensky previously said that the Ukrainians managed to stabilize the situation on the front, but the Kremlin is preparing for a "major offensive" in late May - early June.
According to the head of military intelligence, Kirill Budanov, in a few weeks Ukraine will face a "difficult situation.".
"We are facing a rather difficult situation in the near future, in our opinion. But it is not catastrophic, and we must understand that too. Armageddon will not happen, as many are now starting to say. But there will be problems from mid-May," he said in an interview with BBC Ukraine.
What is happening on the front now?
Where is Russia advancing?
PHOTO AUTHOR, REUTERS Photo caption, Chasiv Yar is the height that the Russian Federation seeks to capture by May 9, according to Commander-in-Chief Syrsky
General Syrsky emphasizes that the Russian army is attacking along the entire front line. But there are areas where it has concentrated more efforts.
In particular, the Russian Federation is actively operating in the Kupyansk direction - near the villages of Stelmakhivka and Berestovo.
“The enemy had partial success there, but was stopped by the actions of our units,” Syrskyi reported.
On this section of the front, Russian troops are trying to push the Ukrainian Armed Forces away from the Kupyansk-Svatovo road, as well as reach the banks of the Oskil River.
Russian military bloggers reported on April 28 that the Russian Armed Forces managed to capture the village of Kyslivka, 20 km southeast of Kupyansk, but the Ukrainian analytical portal DeepState denies this.
“The fighting in Kyslivka continues, the enemy continues to exert pressure, but has not captured the village,” he emphasizes.
Russia also continues its offensive on the village of Terny in the Lymansky direction, where it is trying to push the Ukrainian Defense Forces beyond the Chorny Zherebets River.
In the Siversk direction, the Russian Federation is attacking in the area of Belogorivka and Rozdolivka, where it is trying to break through and block Siversk in order to create conditions for continuing the offensive on Slavyansk.
“There is no success, its advance in this direction has been stopped,” Commander-in-Chief Syrsky reported.
In the Kramatorsk direction, the hottest points remain Ivanovske and Chasiv Yar. The Russians are also trying to regain control of Klishchiivka and reach the border along the Seversky Donets-Donbas canal.
The Russians were able to approach the canal only in one section – between Ivanovske and the Chasovoy Yar microdistrict called “Kvartal”. Back in March, the Russian Defense Ministry announced that it had completely captured the village of Ivanovske (Russians call it by its old name – “Krasne”), but the Ukrainian side denies this.
In particular, Mykhailo Onufer, deputy battalion commander of the 5th separate assault brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, emphasized in an interview with Ukrainska Pravda on April 29 that half of the village is still under the control of Ukrainians.
“Probably 50/50 (control over the village, – Ed.), everything happens in waves – somewhere they will push, somewhere we will. In fact, the Russians are not very interested in holding Ivanovske, it is a lowland. For them, it is just another way to reach the border of Chasiv Yar. But Chasiv Yar, it is no secret to anyone, it is a height,” he explained.
The most difficult situation is in the Pokrovsky and Kurakhiv directions.
According to Syrsky's estimates, Russia has deployed up to four brigades here (approximately 20-25 thousand troops) and is trying to develop an offensive west of Avdiivka and Maryinka, breaking through to Pokrovsk and Kurakhovo.
In particular, the Russians managed to break through the defense near Ocheretyne. This breakthrough forced the Ukrainians to retreat from the line of the villages of Berdychi - Semenivka, which they had held for the last 2 months after withdrawing from Avdiivka. This line was quite convenient for defense, as it ran along water obstacles - the Durna River and a number of ponds.
Now the Ukrainian defense line has moved westward and is only 30 km from the strategically important city of Pokrovsk.
"In general, in these areas the enemy achieved certain tactical successes, but was unable to gain an operational advantage. Ukrainian troops inflict maximum losses on the enemy, both in personnel and military equipment," emphasizes General Syrsky.
He also reported that to strengthen defense in these areas and replace units that suffered losses, brigades that have regained combat capability are being relocated.
In the Kurakhiv direction, the Ukrainian Armed Forces were forced to retreat from the village of Novomykhaylivka (18 km southeast of Kurakhiv). The main danger here is that the Russians are approaching the Vuhledar-Konstyantynivka-Kurakhove road. If they cut it, the situation with the Ukrainian garrison holding Vuhledar will be significantly complicated.
The Russian army is also trying to level the gains of the Ukrainians that were achieved during the 2023 counteroffensive near the villages of Robotyne and Staromayorske, and is also attacking the Ukrainian Armed Forces bridgehead in Krynki in the Kherson region.
“There is no success in any of the directions,” assures Commander-in-Chief Syrsky.
However, Ukraine is recording an increase in the number and regrouping of Russian troops in the Kharkiv direction.
PHOTO AUTHOR, DEEPSTATE Photo caption, Russians have broken through the defense of the Ukrainian Armed Forces near Ocheretyne and are moving towards Pokrovsk
Where is Ukraine coming from?
According to Syrsky, in some areas the Armed Forces of Ukraine “managed to improve the tactical position.”.
In particular, the Ukrainians managed to improve their tactical position in the area of Synkivka (Kupyansky direction) and Serebryansky forestry (Lymansky direction).
“Moreover, in the Kherson direction, our units managed to advance in the Veletensky area and establish control over Nestryga Island,” the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported.
The village of Veletenske on the right bank of the Dnieper is located 15 km southwest of Kherson and was liberated in November 2022.
However, between this village and the Russian-occupied left bank of Kherson region in the Dnieper Delta are a large number of floodplains and islands. For a long time, they were designated as a “gray zone,” meaning that neither side could take control of them.
PHOTO AUTHOR, DEEPSTATE Photo caption, Nestryga Island is one of dozens of islands in the Dnieper Delta
Now, according to Syrsky, Nestryga Island has been completely liberated by Ukrainian troops.
Dmytro Pletenchuk, a spokesman for the Southern Defense Forces, explained that the deoccupation of this island is not of strategic, but of tactical importance. This is due to the fact that the Russians used it to establish firing positions and strike at settlements on the right bank of the Kherson region.
"This is primarily important for the quality of counter-sabotage measures. This location was cleared of any possible enemy presence there," he said on Hromadske Radio.
According to Pletenchuk, this island is closer to the right bank of the Kherson region and was actually the last one before the mouth of the Dnipro River.
