Battlefield situation dynamic in terms of defense and offense – Ukraine defense official

Ukraine's Deputy Minister of Defense Hanna Maliar said this on Ukrainian television, according to an Ukrinform correspondent.

"As of now, offensive actions continue in several areas. At the same time, we also have defensive actions, since the enemy is also advancing in several areas. Therefore, the situation is dynamic. Where we are advancing is the Bakhmut area, and everyone knows that the east is the epicenter of hostilities. At the same time, fierce fighting is taking place there, and one must understand that the enemy does not simply surrender the positions they once occupied, so these are very difficult battles," Maliar said.

She said there were also other factors that affect the situation, including the weather. "If we talk about the weather now, it really complicates some things. In addition, the enemies have increased artillery and mortar shelling. That is, they are trying to slow the movement of our forces with shelling and are taking other measures," Maliar said.

According to her, in the southern operational area, Ukraine's defense forces are faced with dense mining of fields, anti-tank ditches and constant counterattacks by enemy forces who massively use ATGMs and kamikaze drones.

"In some areas we are advancing, while in other areas, if we talk about the Lyman area or Avdiivka, Mariinka, the enemy is trying to counterattack and advance there, but they are not succeeding. Therefore, now the situation is dynamic and active both from the point of view of defense and from the point of view of offense," Maliar said.

When asked about the transfer of Russian troops from one area to another, she noted that Russian troops move constantly, but it is about replacing one unit with another, and not about changing troop numbers. At the same time, the enemy increases the number of shelling attacks at this time.

"When they move, their offensive actions slow, and they compensate for this by increasing the intensity of shelling and air strikes. They do this in all directions, where they both defend and attack," she said.