Russian forces in the Lyman sector of the Donetsk Oblast sometimes outnumber Ukrainian troops by 10 to 1, Ukrainian military spokesperson Anastasia Blyshchyk said on April 8.
"Sometimes there are 10 Russian occupiers for one of our infantrymen," said Blyshchyk, who represents Ukraine's 66th Separate Mechanized Brigade.
"The Russians are pressing with an incredible amount of infantry, which they simply have a lot of."
Blyshchyk said Russian troops are deploying in both large and small groups, exploiting weather conditions to gain ground. Despite suffering major losses, she added, Russian units quickly replenish their ranks.
The Lyman sector, situated in northern Donetsk Oblast, remains one of the most contested front-line regions. Russia has repeatedly targeted the area due to its proximity to key transport routes and logistical hubs.
Over the past month, fighters from the 66th Brigade alone inflicted heavy losses on Russian troops, reportedly destroying two battalion-sized units, Blyshchyk said.
According to the General Staff's report on April 5, Ukrainian forces faced 152 combat engagements that day, with the heaviest fighting recorded in the Pokrovsk, Lyman, Toretsk, and Kursk directions.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said in January that Ukraine fields 880,000 service members across the country.
Russia, by contrast, has concentrated roughly 600,000 troops inside Ukraine, with plans to add another 150,000 in 2025, according to Presidential Office Deputy Head Pavlo Palisa.
Although the pace of Russian advances has slowed in recent months, particularly due to winter conditions, drone strikes, and fatigue among assault units, pressure remains high across Donetsk Oblast.
The battlefield monitoring group DeepState reported that Russian forces captured only 133 square kilometers in March, their lowest total since June 2024.
Despite that slowdown, Russian attacks have intensified again, especially around Pokrovsk, where fighting surged in late March.
Francis Farrell
(Updated: )
