Natalia Humenyuk: Russia is attempting to increase pressure along the contact line with artillery shelling

Currently, the Russians are attempting to increase pressure with artillery shelling along the contact line. This was reported by the head of the Joint Press Center of the Operational Command South Natalia Humenyuk during the Unified News telethon, in response to a question about whether there have been any significant changes since Sunday, when pseudo-elections were held in Russia, along the left bank of the Kherson region and in Crimea.

"We do not see a critical change regarding what was happening before the elections. But we see that they are trying to increase pressure with artillery shelling and the use of drones in areas along the contact line. We see that repression and various means of psychological pressure on the population continue," she said.

Humenyuk informed that the population that has left their personal data (in the occupied territories) may fall into the category of potential replenishment of the army.

"In other words, the same mobilization, which they were conducting before the 'elections,' is now just gaining momentum because they were actually collecting this relevant data for this purpose," said the head of the Joint Press Center of the Operational Command South.

According to her, Ukrainian military also observe that the Russians continue to relocate and reorient their troops.

"Thus, these are internal maneuvers to additionally replenish the reserves of their troops since they have suffered significant losses after unsuccessful assaults and are trying to gradually bolster their reserves, including from the direction of Crimea," she noted.