Ukraine’s army chief warns of ‘extremely difficult’ front line

AFP :
Ukraine’s new army chief said Wednesday the situation on the front line was “extremely difficult” as delays to much-needed US military aid cast a shadow over how long Kyiv’s troops can hold out.
The 1,000-kilometre (620-mile) front line has barely moved in more than a year, with Kyiv’s forces back on the defensive after last year’s failed counter-offensive and military leaders acknowledging Russia has a manpower advantage.
The warning came even as Kyiv said it had destroyed another Russian warship in the Black Sea, the latest in a string of successful attacks on Russia’s naval fleet.
“The operational environment is extremely complex and stressful. The Russian occupiers continue to increase their efforts and have a numerical advantage in personnel,” commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrsky said Wednesday.
Syrsky was conducting his first visit to the front line since he replaced the popular Valery Zaluzhny last week in a major military shake-up.
Along with Defence Minister Rustem Umerov, Syrsky had visited troops fighting around Avdiivka, a key flashpoint where Russia is mounting a major attempt to capture the city.
“We are doing everything possible to prevent the enemy from advancing deep into our territory,” Syrsky said in a post on social media, saying his troops were operating in “extremely difficult conditions”.
Russian military bloggers and local officials have said Ukrainian forces appear to be conserving ammunition as supplies run low.
Ukraine relies on Western — predominantly US — support to fund and equip its armed forces with the shells, bullets, rockets, tanks and air defences it needs to hold off Russian attacks.
But the latest multi-billion-dollar aid package has been held up in the US Congress since last year amid political wrangling, threatening to hobble Ukraine’s defensive capacity.