Ukraine's commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrsky said Saturday the situation on the eastern front had worsened significantly as Russia claimed the capture of a village near the occupied industrial town of Avdiivka."The situation on the eastern front has deteriorated significantly in recent days," said Syrsky, who took over as commander-in-chief in February after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky fired his popular predecessor, Valery Zaluzhny.Zelensky said in his evening address that the "situation at the front, in some areas, is difficult."Germany on Saturday announced it would send an additional Patriot air defense system to Ukraine, the third it has supplied so far, citing "massive and ongoing Russian airstrikes."Zelensky thanked German Chancellor Olaf Scholz for "a real manifestation of support for Ukraine at a critical time for us."Zelensky said in his evening address he was also "working" with Germany on the supply of an additional Iris-T air defense system, which is capable of short- and medium-range protection against missiles and drones.Russia's Defense Ministry announced its troops had "liberated" the village of Pervomaiske in the Donetsk region, about 11 kilometers west of the largely destroyed town of Avdiivka, captured by Russia in the middle of February.Ukraine did not confirm this, however.
Its General Staff said Saturday evening that troops had repelled Russian attacks aimed at pushing them out of Pervomaiske and other villages nearby.Ukrainian prosecutors said Russia on Saturday launched air strikes on villages in the Donetsk region, killing three including a 60-year-old man and a 66-year-old woman, and wounding four.