Ukraine warns situation on front will worsen in May

Ukraine's military intelligence predicts worsening situation on front line as Russian troops gain ground, expecting offensive to escalate.

The situation for Ukraine on its front line is likely to steadily deteriorate in coming weeks, Ukraine's head of military intelligence said in an interview published on Monday.

His assessment comes as outgunned and outmanned Ukrainian forces struggle to hold back Russian troops, who have gained ground in recent months and are expected to soon step up their offensive.

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"In our opinion, a rather difficult situation awaits us in the near future," Kyrylo Budanov told the BBC's Ukrainian service.

"But it is not catastrophic and we need to understand that. Armageddon will not happen, as many people are now saying," he said.

"But there will be problems starting from mid-May. I am talking about the front in particular... It will be a difficult period in mid-May, early June," Mr. Budanov said.

Russia has in recent weeks regularly claimed new gains in eastern Ukraine.