Russians escalate assaults ahead of Easter in bid for further "victories" – Ukrainian Defense Forces

The head of the United Coordination Press Center of the Defense Forces of Southern Ukraine, Dmytro Pletenchuk, disclosed this during a telethon broadcast.

According to Pletenchuk, the situation in the southern sector remains relatively stable, but there was a notable uptick in attempted assaults on May 4, with a total of 19 incidents.

"This figure is typically lower. It appears that ahead of Easter, the occupiers sought another 'victory' before the holidays. However, all attempts were thwarted, and the enemy suffered losses. Nonetheless, their increased activity was evident," the spokesperson remarked.

Pletenchuk reported that on the morning of May 5, six attempted assaults had already occurred.

He highlighted that the primary focus of enemy attacks is on the Kherson sector, particularly Krynky, where Ukrainian marines repelled enemy advances, and Robotyne in the Zaporizhzhia region, where Russian forces are attempting to dislodge Ukrainian Armed Forces units from their positions.

Additionally, Pletenchuk mentioned several assault attempts in the vicinity of Nestryha Island.

• Over the past day, there were 95 combat engagements along the front lines. Russian forces predominantly targeted the Avdiivka and Novopavlivka sectors, resulting in the elimination of 860 Russian soldiers by the AFU.