The commander-in-chief of Ukraine's armed forces has expressed concern about the possibility of the ongoing conflict with Russia becoming deadlocked, and turning into a long-term war of attrition, which would be in Russia's favor.

Russian forces have reportedly been intensifying their offensives in Ukraine's eastern region of Donetsk and elsewhere in the country's east, center and south.

Russia has reinforced its military in the city of Avdiivka in Donetsk, a stronghold for Ukrainian forces.

Ukrainian Internal Affairs Minister Ihor Klymenko reported on Wednesday that Russian forces attacked 118 communities in ten regions, including Donetsk and Kharkiv in the east, the central region of Poltava and the southern regions of Kherson and Mykolaiv.

He noted that the daily number of damaged towns and villages has reached the highest so far this year.

General Valerii Zaluzhnyi, the commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian forces, said the military situation has come to a standstill despite Ukraine's five-month-old counteroffensive since June.

In an interview with The Economist and in an article reported in Wednesday's edition, Zaluzhnyi said, "Just like in the first world war we have reached the level of technology that puts us into a stalemate."

Zaluzhnyi also pointed out that the Russian side is trying to bring the situation into a long-term war of attrition, irrespective of its heavy military casualties. He suggested the conflict could move in Russia's favor.
The general said, "That was my mistake. Russia has lost at least 150,000 dead. In any other country such casualties would have stopped the war."

Zaluzhnyi called for urgent military aid from the West, noting five elements Ukraine needs to break the deadlock and win the war. He said they are: air capabilities including drones, cyber warfare technology such as jamming ways, the ability to silence Russian artillery, methods to break through minefields, and a sufficient number of personnel and reservists to be mobilized.