Zelenskiy says situation on front in eastern Ukraine is getting tougher

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy meets with U.S. President Joe Biden in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, U.S., December 21, 2022. REUTERS/Leah Millis

(Reuters) -The situation on the front lines in eastern Ukraine has become tougher as Russian forces step up an offensive, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Wednesday in another gloomy military assessment from Kyiv.

Russia has gained momentum on the battlefield, announcing advances north and south of the city of Bakhmut, its main target for months. Locations of reported fighting clearly indicate incremental Russian advances.