Kyiv Warns Situation on Front Will Worsen in May

The situation for Ukraine on its front line is likely to steadily deteriorate in the coming weeks, Ukraine’s head of military intelligence said in an interview published on Monday.
His assessment comes as outgunned and outmanned Ukrainian forces struggle to hold back Russian troops, who have gained ground in recent months and are expected to soon step up their offensive.
“In our opinion, a rather difficult situation awaits us in the near future,” Kyrylo Budanov told the BBC’s Ukrainian service.
“But it is not catastrophic and we need to understand that. Armageddon will not happen, as many people are now saying,” he said.
“But there will be problems starting from mid-May. I am talking about the front in particular… It will be a difficult period in mid-May, early June,” Budanov said.
Russia has in recent weeks regularly claimed new gains in eastern Ukraine.
On Monday, Russia’s Defense Ministry said its troops had seized the village of Novomykhailivka, some 20 kilometers away from Vuhledar, which Russian forces have been trying to capture.
It announced other gains near the eastern town of Chasiv Yar over the weekend.
Taking control of Chasiv Yar’s strategic heights would open the road for Russia to other important towns in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said Russian forces want to capture Chasiv Yar by May 9, when the Kremlin marks the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany in World War II.
Kyiv has for months struggled with a growing ammunition shortage but that is expected to improve in the coming weeks, with the United States on Saturday finally approving a $61-billion package of military aid to help battle Moscow.
As you may have heard, The Moscow Times, an independent news source for over 30 years, has been unjustly branded as a “foreign agent” by the Russian government. This blatant attempt to silence our voice is a direct assault on the integrity of journalism and the values we hold dear.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. Our commitment to providing accurate and unbiased reporting on Russia remains unshaken. But we need your help to continue our critical mission.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just 2. It’s quick to set up, and you can be confident that you’re making a significant impact every month by supporting open, independent journalism. Thank you.