MOSCOW, July 24. /TASS/. The Kiev forces are facing a very difficult situation in many combat areas, Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian armed forces Alexander Syrsky said in an interview with The Guardian.

According to the paper, "Syrsky admitted things were ‘very difficult’." According to him, Russian troops are attacking Ukrainian positions "in many directions."

Syrsky added that finding a way out of the situation depended on Ukrainian soldiers.

The Ukrainian General Staff said in its recent reports that the situation was the most tense in the Pokrovsk area.

Earlier, Ukrainian officials admitted that the situation was difficult in the Kharkov area. The Ukrainian General Staff said on May 14 that the country’s armed forces had "to move to more advantageous positions" near the town of Volchansk and the village of Lukyantsy. The military authorities also announced the deployment of additional reserves to the area. Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky held a meeting with senior commanders in Kharkov on May 16, describing the situation as extremely difficult. The Russian Defense Ministry earlier announced that several settlements had been liberated as troops continued to advance deeper into enemy defenses.