The frontline situation is becoming increasingly disastrous for Ukraine, according to a recent report by a Kyiv-based reporter with the German daily Die Welt.
Ukrainian troops seriously lack ammunition and troops to ward off Russian attacks, as reported by Paul Ronzheimer, citing "generals and soldiers" whom he has "constantly been in contact with."
Ukraine's forces have mostly gone on the defensive after the failure of their much-publicized summer counteroffensive. The operation, which started in early June 2023, could not make progress or cause considerable changes to the frontlines, despite large personnel and equipment losses.
Russia's Defense Ministry earlier estimated Ukraine's losses during the unsuccessful counteroffensive at 160,000. Nearly 400,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed or wounded since February 2022. (Related: Former high-ranking official says Ukraine has 500K CASUALTIES, urges Zelensky to be transparent about losses.)
Kyiv increased its mobilization attempts late last year in a bid to refill the troop reserve. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky previously said the Ukrainian military wanted up to 500,000 new recruits.
According to Ronzheimer, Ukraine has been inundated with reports about challenging situations at the frontlines. Kyiv's forces were also about to exhaust their ammunition for its Western-made air defense systems, like America's Patriot. Ronzheimer described the situation as a "major concern" for the locals.
The German correspondent noted that frontline situation "is extremely tense," specifically near the Donbas city of Avdiivka, a strategic site north of Donetsk that has witnessed large fighting over the past few months. Ronzheimer wrote that the Ukrainian generals wanted "more mobilization" and to "send more soldiers" into battle.
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In another report early this week, the German journalist said Russian troops started "massive attacks" in 80 locations along several hundred kilometers of the frontline. "We keep hearing messages from the soldiers, which are becoming more dramatic," Ronzheimer reported.
Ronzheimer said it would be "very difficult" for Ukrainian forces to hold Avdiivka in the long term since Moscow's troops were making continued progress in that district. "The Russians are on the offensive there and are making progress meter by meter," Ronzheimer noted.
Reporters advised to figure out which cities fall into which zones
Meanwhile, the Operational Commands (OC) East and South were the first in the Ukrainian army to declare the whole frontline, including Ukraine's border, a "red zone."
"Red zones" are prohibited to reporters, and they can only report openly in "green zones." In "yellow zones," they are permitted to do their job when assisted by an army press officer. Conditions in these zones are classified as "protected information" and only revealed on a need-to-know basis.
Ukraine's army has vowed to study zone status weekly, weighing the intensity of fighting and the media's desire to report on the situation on the ground.
Ilya Yevlash, head of press service for the Ukrainian army's "Khortytsia" troops responsible for a wide stretch of the front in Donbas, said in an interview with DW that reporting from Bakhmut is restricted at this time.
In Kostiantynivka, some 12.4 miles (20 kilometers) away, reporters can perform their duty but must be in the company of a military representative.
For this reason, Yevlash said he would advise news writers to figure out which cities fall into which zones.
The military can cancel media accreditation when rules are violated and that was what it did to reporters from international news media CNN and Sky News, and Ukrainian news outlets Suspilne and Hromadske. Their accreditations were later reinstated after foreign and domestic media organizations protested.
Reporters and correspondents who want to cover the ongoing war will have to renew their credentials every six months.
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Watch the video below about Ukraine demanding that women join the war and ordering 50,000 ladies' uniforms.
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