Russia squeezes Ukrainian strongholds in the east

businessinsider.com: Ukraine says Russian forces are making gains in the country's east and admits it may have to retreat in some positions.

Russian forces have focused on securing the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine since abandoning attempts to seize the capital of Kyiv in late March. The Donbas has been largely controlled by pro-Kremlin separatists since 2014.

Ukrainian forces initially appeared to be repelling Russian advances, but Ukrainian officials said in recent days that Russia had been making progress, including around the key city of Luhansk.

"Russia has the advantage, but we are doing everything we can," Gen. Oleksiy Gromov said Thursday, according to Reuters. The same day, defense ministry spokesperson Oleksandr Motuzyanyk said that Russia had secured a "temporary success."

On Wednesday, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Ukrainian troops were outnumbered twenty to one in the Donbas region, with Luhansk's governor, Serhiy Hayday, saying the day before that the number of Russian troops was "insane."

In a status update Thursday, Ukraine's General Staff of the Armed Forces said Russia had also made gains near the towns of Pokrovsky and Klynove, which are located between the key cities of Donetsk and Luhansk.

Deputy Ukrainian Defense Minister Hanna Malyar said Thursday that the fighting was at "maximum intensity."

CNN also reported that several Ukrainian officials have said its forces may have to fall back in some places.

The Institute of War said in a Thursday briefing that Russian forces had made piecemeal advances in parts of eastern Ukraine, but that Ukrainian troops were still "effective overall."

In an address Thursday night, Zelenskyy said Russia was happy to raze the whole of the Donbas region in its attempt to secure it.

"They want to burn Popasna, Bakhmut, Lyman, Lysychansk and Severodonetsk to ashes," he said, referring to cities in the Donbas.