Russian invasion forces ‘struggling on multiple fronts, facing exhaustion’

“If we talk about (exhaustion in) strategic offensive operations, it’s even more so,” Cherevaty said.

“They are stuck on several fronts and are trying to conduct assaults, but without success,” he said, adding that in recent months, the invaders have not achieved any operational or tactical gains.

“In particular, they have not been able to take Bakhmut for almost nine months. This is one of the bright markers of the 'ability' of General Gerasimov (Valery Gerasimov, the chief of Russia’s General Staff) to conduct operations of this level,” said Cherevaty.

He added that Moscow would continue to come up with new “deadlines” for the capture of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts, and continue its attempts to occupy the whole of the Donbas, but the Armed Forces of Ukraine “will once again prove that they can completely nullify these dates.

”On April 5, Western officials stated that Russian forces had achieved “very slow progress” in Bakhmut over the past six months, despite the deployment of a large number of soldiers, and despite suffering huge losses.