According to Kiev, Russia is preparing a new offensive on the anniversary of the start of the war. It is “no secret” that the Russian army is preparing another wave of attacks for February 24, Oleksiy Danilov, the secretary of the Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, told Radio Svoboda.
According to him, the National Security and Defense Council and the Armed Forces of Ukraine agree on which areas the Russian army wants to repeat offensive maneuvers. The task of the invaders, according to Danilov, was to “fully reach” the borders of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions. Although Moscow has declared the two areas Russian territory, it still does not have full control over them.
Russian troops had recently stepped up their attacks in eastern Ukraine. Particularly massive attacks are reported on the two cities of Wuhledar and Bakhmut – both in Donetsk Oblast; Both sides reported bitter fighting around Wuhledar on Friday. Only recently did Russian soldiers and fighters from the Wagner mercenary group take the small town of Soledar, north of Bakhmut. It was the first notable victory for the Russian forces and their allies after several setbacks in recent months.
“There’s Always Shooting”
According to a Ukrainian soldier, Russian soldiers are also advancing on Bakhmut, which they have been trying to take over for months. “There is constant shooting, day and night, to find weaknesses in our defenses,” Yuriy told AFP while standing in a trench in Bakhmut.
According to Oleksiy Danilov, Russian forces have also been investigating the defense capabilities of Ukrainian troops in the direction of Zaporizhia Oblast for a week now. The occupiers now have “a certain concentration of troops there”, according to the Ukrainian politician. The Ukrainian Armed Forces must now be in maximum concentration and readiness as the Russian Federation has mobilized and armored large forces.
“Don’t rest on your laurels”
At the same time, the vigilance of the armed forces of Ukraine today is in a completely different state than last year, Danilov stressed. As in February 2022, the Russian troops would now “absolutely fail”. But the secretary of the Security and Defense Council of Ukraine also warns: “This is not a reason for us to rest on our laurels and think it is all over. On the contrary, we must prepare as best we can.”
The US-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW) also assumes that Moscow wants to create “the conditions for a decisive offensive campaign”. According to the ISW, Russian troops are therefore trying to blow up the outnumbered Ukrainian forces with the attacks. Russia has mobilized hundreds of thousands of reservists and convicts to try to break through Ukrainian lines and take over all of Donbass, a vast coal and industrial area in eastern Ukraine.
Russia accuses Kiev of attacking hospital
Meanwhile, Russia has accused the Ukrainian army of killing 14 people in an attack on a hospital in eastern Ukraine. Another 24 people were injured in the attack with HIMARS rocket launchers on a local hospital in Novoaydar in the Luhansk region on Saturday, it said. There were casualties “among the patients and medical staff”.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
