Syrsky wrote on Facebook after visiting troops defending the battered town that "measures were taken to significantly strengthen the brigades with ammunition, drones, and electronic warfare equipment".
Russia is "concentrating its efforts to break through our defences west of Bakhmut," Syrsky said, referring to the destroyed town in the Donetsk region captured by Russia last May.
He said Russia aims to "seize the town of Chasiv Yar", which lies 20 kilometres (12 miles) west of Bakhmut.
Chasiv Yar has been heavily destroyed by shelling and Ukraine has said it is now under "constant fire".
Syrksky said Russia's military leadership has set a deadline to capture Chasiv Yar by May 9, when Russia marks Soviet victory in World War II.
Russia then wants to "create conditions for further advancement" to the large city of Kramatorsk and the surrounding area, Syrsky warned.
Overnight, Russia shelled the eastern Kharkiv region, killing two people in a village near the border.
The energy ministry said Russia shelled energy infrastructure in the Kharkiv region, causing power outages and problems with gas supply.
Ukraine says situation 'tense' on eastern front
Kyiv, Ukraine (AFP) April 14, 2024 -
Ukraine on Sunday said the situation was "tense" on its eastern front, where the Russian army is doubling down on efforts to seize the strategic town of Chassiv Iar.
Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov said he had visited troops on the frontier, where Ukrainian forces are outnumbered and running low on ammunition.
He said "the situation is tense", a day after Kyiv warned that the situation on its eastern front was significantly worsening.
If Moscow manages to capture Chassiv Iar, it would "create conditions for a deeper advance" towards the key Ukrainian transport hub of Kramatorsk, said Ukraine's commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrsky.
Kramatorsk town is the major rail and logistics hub for the Ukrainian army, 30 kilometres (19 miles) from Chassiv Iar.
Russia has been trying to break through to the west of Bakhmut -- a town conquered by the Russians in May 2023 after a bloody battle -- according to Umerov.
In recent weeks, Moscow has claimed the capture of several small villages, notably near the industrial town of Avdiivka on Saturday.
It has also ramped up its aerial bombardments on Ukraine's infrastructure in recent weeks, with President Volodymyr Zelensky saying the Kremlin was aiming to drive people from second city Kharkiv.
"Rhetoric does not protect the sky," Zelensky said on Sunday.
And more than two years into Russia's war, support from Ukraine's Western allies has faltered.
Europe is struggling to generate enough weaponry, and US aid is blocked by political wrangling in Congress.
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