Ukraines army chief reports tactical retreat in the east, and warns of front-line pressure [Video]

KYIV, Ukraine — Ukraine’s troops have been forced to make a tactical retreat from three villages in the embattled east, the country’s army chief said Sunday, warning of a worsening battlefield situation as Ukrainian forces wait for much-needed arms from a huge U.S. aid package to reach combat zones.

Col. Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi reported that Russian forces continue to attack “along the entire front line” of more than 620 miles, with pitched battles raging west of Avdiivka, the eastern city they took in February after a grueling, monthslong fight.

“The most difficult situation is in the Pokrovsk and Kurakhove directions, where fierce battles continue,” Syrskyi said in an update posted to the Telegram messaging app, referencing two Ukrainian-held cities in the war-torn Donetsk region, once a hub of industry.

“The enemy has engaged up to four brigades in these directions, is trying to develop an offensive west of Avdiivka and …