Russia Has 'Tripled The Intensity' Of Attacks In Ukraine; Sends 80 Attacks Per Day

The Ukrainian army's commander-in-chief has said that the Russian army has "tripled" its attacks on certain areas in the country amid the ongoing war, with 80 attacks being reported per day.

Despite the rising intensity of the attacks on the front, Valerii Zaluzhnyi, the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (UAF), said they have the situation "under control."

"I had a conversation with General Christopher Cavoli, Supreme Allied Commander Europe and Commander of the United States European Command. We discussed the situation on the battlefield. It is intense, but controlled," Zaluzhnyi said, according to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. "The enemy tripled the intensity of hostilities on certain areas of the front - up to 80 attacks daily. Due to the courage and prowess of our warriors we are holding the line."

It is also reported that Zaluzhnyi and Cavoli discussed the Russian army's use of attack drones in the war. Zaluzhnyi, however, noted that Ukraine's "partners" are "making significant efforts" to supply Kyiv with defense systems.

"Our partners realize the necessity to supply air and missile defense systems to Ukraine and put significant efforts into it," the commander-in-chief said.

The news comes as about 4.5 million Ukrainians across the country are suffering from power outages after Russia targeted civilian infrastructures. Households living in 10 areas are affected by the blackouts, including the capital city of Kyiv and the regions of Dnipropetrovsk, Zhytomyr, Zaporizhzhia, Sumy, Kirovohrad, Kharkiv, Chernihiv, Khmelnytskyi and Cherkasy, CNN reported.

On the battlefield, the Russian tricolor flag was missing from the main administrative building in Kherson on Thursday. Kremlin-appointed head of Kherson Oblast Kirill Stremousov seemed to suggest that Russia is retreating in the face of Ukraine's counteroffensive. He told Russian TV that Moscow's troops would most likely regroup on the east bank of the Dnipro River, USA Today reported.

However, Ukraine is taking Russia's retreat with skepticism, adding that the latter may be setting an elaborate trap. Yurii Sobolevskyi, deputy head of Ukraine's Kherson regional council, spoke to NBC News by telephone Thursday and said they received information that many Russian military personnel and equipment still remain in the area.