Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has announced that Russian forces have attempted to intensify their offensives this week, taking advantage of more favorable weather conditions. However, he noted that the only significant outcome for the Russian military has been a rise in casualties, with over 8,000 soldiers reported killed or wounded in the past seven days.
Zelensky shared these details via Telegram following a meeting with the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Oleksandr Syrskyi, and Chief of the General Staff, Andriy Hnatov.
The president remarked that Russian command has finally gained a clearer understanding of the actual locations of their units on the front lines, contrasting with previous official reports. He indicated that some brigade-level commanders have been replaced as a consequence of misinformation.
“We also have information that the Russian command has finally figured out where their units are actually located on the front lines and how this differs from the official reports that were sent up the chain. Some of their brigade-level commanders have already been replaced as punishment for lying. However, this will not help the occupiers,” Zelensky stated.
Furthermore, Zelensky mentioned that the situation in the Donetsk region has not significantly changed over the past week. In the border areas of Kharkiv and Sumy, Russian troops have made attempts to advance from the border, but Ukrainian forces continue to target and eliminate the Russian units involved in these efforts.
“In the Oleksandrivsk direction, active operations by our assault and airborne units are ongoing – I thank each warrior. We specifically noted the accuracy of our drone strikes and outlined further operational frameworks. I have approved a number of new operations,” he added.
President Zelensky reported that Russian forces have suffered significant casualties while attempting to increase their offensive activities. He emphasized ongoing Ukrainian efforts to counter these advances, particularly in border regions.