Russian army is shelling Ukrainian positions just like in February, and changes its tactics in air space – Ukrainian Defence official

The Russian troops have increased artillery shelling on the hotspots of the front to the level it was in February, and changed the tactics of aerial fighting for both planes and drones.

Source: Head of the joint press centre of the Defence Forces of the Tavriisk front, Oleksii Dmytrashkivskyi, on the 24/7 national joint newscast.

Quote: "The enemy has started to build up its artillery power again and is shelling our positions in the same way as it has been in February. Yesterday and today, the enemy attacked our positions with their artillery systems almost 500 times.

As for assault actions, the enemy heavily attacked the positions of our troops on the Marinka front 22 times. They did not give up hope of capturing Marinka in order to cut off and block Avdiivka.

As for the tactics used by the enemy, they have changed something since yesterday. The enemy is trying to show its superiority in the air. That is why there was such an amount of airstrikes yesterday."

Details: Dmytroshkivskyi clarified about the change in tactics of the Russians in the sky: previously, there was only one plane, a maximum of two in the sky, and they flew separately; and on 24 April there was teamwork, when two planes baited Ukrainian air defence forces, and a third plane inflicted damage.

In addition, the tactics of the Russian Federation in the use of drones have changed.

Quote: "During yesterday, perhaps it was due to the fact that the weather was excellent, the enemy used twice as many reconnaissance drones on the Donetsk front.

Another tactic of using kamikaze drones was also used yesterday for the first time. Yesterday afternoon, this was the first time: Shahed drones were used, they were successfully shot down, but after them Lancets appeared. This is also a strategy to expose a little of [Ukrainian – ed.] air defence and then strike with Lancets."

Details: Dmytrashkivskyi did not answer the question about the role of weather in the offensive actions of the occupiers.

He said that although a tank brigade of the Russian Federation was spotted in the Avdiivka front, "for the fourth day in a row, the occupiers are advancing with an infantry group, without using equipment". One of the possible reasons, according to the representative of the Defence Forces: the transition from the winter period to the summer period and maintenance of equipment. Another possible reason is that the equipment was delivered for a demonstration of military power.

At the same time, the Russians continued to carry out airstrikes; in particular, residential buildings in the Vuhledar district were struck at night.

According to him, the moral and psychological state of Russians on the front line has declined.

Background: On 24 April, John Kirby, Coordinator for Strategic Communications at the National Security Council of the White House, reported that when the weather conditions get better in Ukraine, the Russian occupiers may launch an offensive on several fronts.

On the Lyman-Kupiansk front, the Russians do not attack the positions of the Ukrainian troops but break records by using means of destruction, as reported by Colonel Serhii Cherevatyi, spokesperson of the Eastern Grouping of Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, on 25 April.

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