Russian troops have significantly reinforced their group near Bakhmut in Donetsk Region and moved from defence to active operations, the commander of the Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Col-Gen Oleksandr Syrskyy, has said in an interview with Interfax-Ukraine.
"The situation in the east remains difficult. The enemy keeps trying to achieve success and attacks our positions every day. It is particularly active in the vicinity of Kupyansk, where it is trying to advance in several directions at once. In the area of Bakhmut, the enemy has significantly reinforced its group and moved from defence to active operations," he said.
Syrskyy noted that the Russians are trying to stop the advance of Ukrainian troops there and regain the lost ground using airborne units. They are also using assault groups from Storm Z units in some areas.