"The past week has been relatively intense in Ukraine. The number of Russian attacks has risen to 100 attacks per day in the first half of the week and dropped somewhat in the second half, to around 80 attacks per day," Kiviselg said at the weekly Friday briefing at the Ministry of Defense.

He said that Russia and Ukraine are carrying out rotation and regrouping of units at the front. Both are trying to turn mistakes and opportunities into successes.

Kiviselg said that the Russian forces' activity is still focused on Chasiv Yar, west of Bakhmut, in the direction of Marinka west of Donetsk, and attacking the settlements on the railway connecting Avdiivka and Pokrovsk.

"In the latter case, Russian troops have also made a local breakthrough into Ukraine's defenses at the settlement of Ocheretyne," he said.

"Maintaining the tempo of the Russian Federation's attacks is an attempt to
Russia is trying to take advantage of the last window of opportunity until Western military assistance has fully arrived in Ukraine and has been deployed," the colonel said.

Russia's successes are small, and the possibility of the Ukrainian defense lines and the front collapsing is decreasing, he added.

"The armed forces of the Russian Federation have continued to carry out terrorist bombardments of the civilian population of Ukraine, both in border areas and by launching deep-strike attacks against major Ukrainian settlements. The aim is to create a so-called 'no-manls land'. However, due to successful anti-aircraft operations, Ukraine has been able to reduce the use of Russian long-range bombers for deep strikes in the last week, as well as reducing the intensity of the bombers, " Kiviselg said.

He added that Ukraine has carried out systematic deep strikes, attacking several military facilities in Crimea and facilities connected to the oil industry on Russian territory.

Kiviselg said there are no major changes in the area between Kreminna and Lyman in the direction of Luhansk. "The Russian Armed Forces will continue to replace units, i.e. units that have been on the front line will be sent to the rear to recover and replenish, and will be replaced by fresh forces," he told the media.

The center of battles in the Donetsk direction is concentrated around Donetsk. "Russian Federation forces continue to attempt to capture or encircle the settlement of Chasiv Yar, west of Bakhmut. However, the fall of Chasiv Yar is not expected in the near future."

Tense battles are also taking place around Avdiivka-Marinka, where Russian forces have gradually advanced. It is likely the fighting will continue there in the following weeks.

"The Zaporizhzhia and Kherson direction has already seen a slower pace of operations in recent months. In the southern part of the front, in the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson oblasts, the situation is less tense. Changes on the front line are not significant. The bridgehead of the Ukrainian Armed Forces over the Dnieper River remains in place," the colonel said.

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