MOSCOW, November 2. /TASS/. The situation for the Ukrainian army on the frontline remains difficult, the Commander-in-Chief Alexander Syrsky said in a telephone conversation with the Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Charles Brown.

"I informed my US colleague about the situation on the front line, which remains difficult," Syrsky wrote on his Telegram channel.

He said the Russian forces had a significant superiority in artillery shells. The two sides also discussed the needs of the Ukrainian army, he added. Syrsky thanked Brown for Washington's recently allocated military aid package to Kiev.

On October 31, Syrsky informed the commander-in-chief of NATO's Joint Forces in Europe, who also heads the US European Command, General Christopher Cavoli, about heavy fighting along the entire line of engagement.

Vladimir Zelensky earlier said that in a situation where the ratio of troops was one to eight in Russia’s favor Ukrainian soldiers should retreat. In his turn, the head of Ukraine’s Supreme Court, Stanislav Kravchenko, on October 29, reported a significant upsurge in desertion from the Ukrainian army, describing the situation as threatening. Verkhovna Rada member Maryana Bezuglaya also indirectly acknowledged the Ukrainian army’s significant personnel problems. She said the General Staff first ordered the transfer of 20% of medics to infantry units. A short while later Syrskyy ordered the transfer of military aviation’ technical personnel to infantry.