The front lines have deteriorated and “heavy fighting” continues apace, the Commander in Chief of Ukraine’s armed forces said as he gave a digest of over a dozen battles raging against Russian invaders.

Russian forces are enjoying “tactical successes” in some areas, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrskyi said on Sunday, reflecting that “heavy fighting across the front line” continues. Writing a digest of the dozens of battles raging across Ukraine’s internal frontiers against Russian occupation, Syrskyi reflected that “The situation at the front has worsened”.

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In some areas, the general said, the fluctuating state of tactical advantage was so rapid that particular objectives were changing hands several times a day. Nevertheless, he said Russian forces are trying top “seize the strategic initiative and break through the front line” by advancing concentrations of forces.

The comments come as Spring brings firmer ground and meteorological conditions more conducive to military campaigning. Both Kyiv and Moscow are both said to be planning Spring offensives in an attempt to capture the initiative.

While General Syrskyi’s remarks may seem pessimistic, this is not wholly out of character for the newly installed military leader, whose remarks could be seen as a contribution to the overall Ukrainian message to the West that further military support is urgently needed to stave off defeat. Earlier in April, Syrskyi said his Eastern Front had “significantly worsened in recent days”.

This change had a variety of causes, he said, but was being facilitated by “warm, dry weather, which has made most of the open areas of the terrain accessible to tanks.”

On Monday, Ukraine claimed it had killed and wounded 1,320 Russian soldiers in the previous 24 hours, and that Russia had started conscripting Ukrainians from occupied regions in the country to bolster its forces. Ukraine claimed through its state media that by doing so, Russia was pitting “compatriots, relatives, and family members against each other”.

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