11:14 01.04.2022

Russia's Eastern Military District augmenting force strength, moving forces into eastern, southern Ukrainian regions – AFU General Staff

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Russia's Eastern Military District augmenting force strength, moving forces into eastern, southern Ukrainian regions – AFU General Staff

Russian military leaders are reinforcing groups in Ukraine at the expense of units from the Eastern Military District, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) has said.

The Russian plan to capture Kyiv failed. An increase in the military presence of the enemy and intensification of hostilities in the southern and eastern regions of Ukraine are expected, it said.

"The enemy continues to strengthen the groupings of troops at the expense of units from the Eastern Military District. Russia is trying to form occupation administrations within Russia-occupied areas of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhia and Kherson regions. The enemy will probably try to maintain a military presence with hostilities in the southern and eastern regions of Ukraine," the General Staff early on Friday.

Russian invading forces have suffered significant losses in personnel and equipment. They did not succeed in blocking and capturing Kyiv and were forced to withdraw, the General Staff added.

In the Volyn direction, no changes were reported.

In the Polissia direction, the enemy is regrouping. Some five battalion tactical groups (BTGs) were withdrawn to Belarus. They are expected to be redeployed to other battle fronts after unit strength is restored.

In the Siversky direction, Russian forces are withdrawing some troops with the assistance of the first Tank Army.

In the Slobozhanske direction, the enemy continues to block the city of Kharkiv, shelling to destroy the infrastructure and residential areas of the city. In the area south of the city of Izium, Russian forces are trying unsuccessfully to break the resistance of Ukrainian defenders, to dislodge from their positions and to continue the offensive in the direction of Sloviansk.

In the Donetsk direction, the enemy did not conduct active offensive operations. The enemy concentrated on continuing the assault on Mariupol. The 58th Combined-Arms Army, augmented by military personnel displaced from the seventh military base (Abkhazia), is forming a BTG.

In the Yuzhnobuzske direction, the enemy tried to carry out offensive actions in the direction of the settlement of Oleksandrivka, Mykolaiv region.

The grouping of defense forces continues to conduct a defensive operation in the eastern, southeastern and northeastern directions. Russian forces attempting to advance on Sloviansk and Barvenkove have been dispersed under fire in settlements surrounding Izium, Kamyanka, Tykhotske.

Enemy attempts to bypass the positions of our troops in the areas of the settlements of Popasna and Novotoshkiske have been repelled.

The forces of the 36th Separate Marine Brigade, together with units of other army defense units, continue to defend Mariupol.

The enemy offensive was repelled in the area of the settlement of Maryinka.

"The grouping of forces and means of defense of Kyiv continues to conduct strike and search operations in the Zhytomyr and Nizhyn directions. In other directions, a stabilization operation is underway," the General Staff said.

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