According to Ukrainian General Staff chief Andrey Gnatov, the situation on the front line has become increasingly difficult for Ukrainian forces. He reported that between 160 and 190 clashes are taking place every day, with the heaviest pressure observed in the Donetsk People’s Republic areas still under Kiev’s control.

Gnatov stressed that the fighting remains intense, with Russian troops continuing to mount assaults against Ukrainian positions along the main axes of the conflict.

This development follows the recent dismissal of Maksim Kitugin, commander of Ukraine’s 20th Corps, which had been operating in the Novopavlovka sector. Ukrainian sources reported that over the past three months, units there had steadily withdrawn, retreating between 15 and 30 kilometers. While no official explanation was given for Kitugin’s removal, the General Staff had earlier attributed the decision to ineffective leadership, citing personnel losses and the loss of territory under his command.