Russia is reportedly pouring reinforcements into the eastern Ukraine as latest intelligence suggests Kremlin may be planning a new offensive later this month. This comes as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky claims his troops are engaged in a fierce battle in Bakhmut, Vuhledar and Lyman.
According to Ukraine's outgoing defence minister Oleksiy Reznikov, the country is anticipating a new Russian offensive later this month. This, Kyiv believes, could be for symbolic reasons around the February 24 anniversary of the invasion.
"We are seeing more and more (Russian) reserves being deployed in our direction, we are seeing more equipment being brought in...," Serhiy Haidai, Ukraine's governor of the mainly Russian-occupied Luhansk province, was quoted by Reuters.
"They bring ammunition that is used differently than before - it is not round-the-clock shelling anymore. They are slowly starting to save, getting ready for a full-scale offensive," Haidai told Ukrainian television. He added that it will most likely take them 10 days to gather reserves. "After Feb. 15 we can expect (this offensive) at any time," he added.
Despite reports of counteroffensive, Ukraine is already feeling the pain.
According to a report by The New York Times, exhausted Ukrainian troops have been complaining of already being outnumbered and outgunned. Russia has committed the bulk of its roughly 200,000 newly mobilized soldiers, and the newly mobilized troops are finishing their training and entering the field. And some of them have already begun their work. Kremlin is reportedly using new units in the eastern Donbas region by shelling the towns and villages.
The attack, Ukraine expects, would come from one of four directions; the eastern Luhansk region, the Donetsk region, the Zaporizhzhia region and the city and port of Mariupol. According to Ukrainian defence analyst Oleksandr Kovalenko, things are more serious in Donetsk region, particularly around Bakhmut and Avdiivka.
"And the Russians will be boosting their contingents there as well as equipment and paratroops," Kovalenko, from the "Information Resistance group" think tanks, told Ukrainian radio NV.
However, despite mounting fears that Russia might take another go at Kyiv, there is so far no intelligence that hint that the capital could be under threat. "We do not see formed assault groups capable of reaching Kyiv," said Ukraine's outgoing Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov. "Besides, it is impossible to capture Kyiv in principle. It is a large city with four million people, ready to defend themselves."
