"Despite loud statements about preparing a ceasefire ahead of the May holidays, the occupiers have clearly increased the intensity of their attacks," quotes the Ukrainian army chief Oleksandr Syrskyj in a message sent out through military channels.
According to him, this escalation is primarily directed towards Pokrovsk in Donetsk, where he describes the invasion forces as continuing to push for a breakthrough that would allow them to reach further into the country, to the Dnipropetrovsk region.
According to Syrskyj's account, the Russians are suffering heavy losses.
Much destruction
Russia has had its sights set on Pokrovsk since last autumn and has sent large numbers of soldiers in that direction, but has so far not managed to get closer than the outskirts of the city. The city is a key hub for Ukraine's defense in the east.
Already a few weeks ago, the Ukrainian military began warning of an escalation there, with predictions of a larger Russian spring offensive. At the beginning of April, Syrskyj said that the attacks on Pokrovsk had almost doubled in scope in a short time.
Russia's escalation and Ukraine's warnings come against the backdrop of the talks held with American mediation over the past few weeks. The US is demanding significant concessions from Ukraine, while claiming to evaluate whether Russia is serious about its alleged peaceful intentions.
Much of the built-up area in Pokrovsk has been shot to pieces. On Wednesday morning, the Ukrainian Donetsk governor Vadym Filasjkin announced that Russian shelling had hit the Pokrovsk area and that several civilians and buildings had been damaged.
More cities attacked
Up to 50 people were injured in a Russian drone attack on the major city of Kharkiv in northeastern Ukraine on Tuesday evening, according to the Ukrainian authorities there. Several of them have been taken to hospital with more serious injuries.
"16 attacks on Kharkiv have been registered. High-rise buildings, private buildings, a healthcare facility, and civilian infrastructure were damaged," announced the city's mayor Ihor Terechov on Wednesday morning.
The major city of Dnipro was also subjected to a comprehensive drone attack late in the evening, resulting in at least one death.
