Russia on Tuesday claimed success in a recent offensive in eastern Ukraine as Kiev admits it expects a major Russian attack and demands the West ramp up and speed up military aid.
“Currently, fighting is progressing successfully in the zones” of Bakhmut and Vugledar, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said in a statement released after a meeting between army officials and his ministry.
Shoigu claimed to have captured seven locations, including Soledar, a town next to Bakhmut that Ukrainian forces ceded in January.
The Russian minister also warned the West of increasing aid to Ukraine, which he said could lead to “an unpredictable level of escalation” in the conflict.
The United States of America and several European countries recently decided to send heavy tanks to the Ukrainian army to counter the Russian offensive.
The Americans also promised to send weapons with a range of up to 150 kilometers, which Kiev demanded to attack Russian ammunition depots and supply lines.
On Saturday evening, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky acknowledged that the situation on the frontline was “becoming more complicated”, particularly in Bakhmout, which he vowed to defend as long as possible.
The Russian army, supported by mercenaries from the Wagner group, has been trying since last summer to capture Bakhmut, a city that has been largely destroyed and where both sides have suffered heavy losses.
Since January, the Russian army has been having successes on the ground, hoping to lay siege to the now largely destroyed city or force Ukrainian troops to retreat.
The capture of this city could pave the way for an offensive towards Kramatorsk, the capital of the Donbass under Ukrainian control.
Moscow has also been trying to advance into Vugledar in recent weeks, which is home to a rail hub serving southern and eastern Ukraine.
Source: DN
