President Volodymyr Zelenskiy visited troops near Ukraine’s southeastern front yesterday, warning of the need to shore up the lines after losing ground in increasingly high-intensity battles far from Russia’s offensive in the east.
Zelenskiy, whose government is reeling from a corruption scandal, said the situation near the village of Orikhiv was “one of the most difficult” on a sprawling front and that thwarting Russian forces there was key to shielding the city of Zaporizhzhia.
“(Zaporizhzhia) is an important city, the enemy certainly wants it. We certainly have to defend it,” he said, awarding medals to troops and discussing ways to strengthen the lines.
Neither side has made major breakthroughs on the battlefield since the first year of Russia’s 2022 invasion.
But Moscow’s forces, which control 19 per cent of Ukraine, have been on the offensive since late 2023 and have gradually edged forward.
As Russian forces close in on capturing the city of Pokrovsk in the east and bear down on Kupiansk to the northeast, mounting pressure in the southeast is a worry for Ukraine and its allies.
Top Ukrainian military commander Oleksandr Syrskyi, writing on Telegram, said Pokrovsk remained the focal point of Kyiv’s frontline defensive operations and Ukrainian units were “operating effectively” in the city.
Syrskyi said Ukrainian forces were gaining ground around the village of Ocheretyne farther east, drawing Russian forces there and easing pressure on Pokrovsk.
Earlier this week, in a display of unusual candour, Syrskyi said the situation had “significantly worsened” in parts of Zaporizhzhia region.
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