Vladimir Putin had warned in early July that Russia “has not yet started serious things.” After major advances in Donbass in recent weeks, the Kremlin does not plan to stop there despite an “operational pause” of a few days before continuing its military operation in Ukraine. And even to intensify it.
In a press release published this Saturday after an inspection visit of the troops involved in Ukraine, Sergei Shoigu, Russian Defense Minister, encouraged his soldiers to intensify attacks and strikes “in all operational sectors” of the war. The latter also gave the necessary instructions to increase military pressure on Ukrainian territory during his visit, reports Russian propaganda agency Tass.
In detail, the minister wants these new Russian offensives to prevent any Ukrainian counteroffensive in the eastern part of the country. The latter suspects that Kyiv wants to fire on Donbass cities with rockets.
Uncertainties in the Donbass
This Saturday, the American Institute for the Study of War (ISW) had already estimated that the Russian forces were “probably coming out of the operational pause” that they had decreed eight days ago to regenerate.
Moscow troops carried out “a series of ground assaults”, “still on a small scale” and “largely unsuccessful”, northwest of Sloviansk, southeast of Siversk, along the Bakhmut-Lysychansk highway, southeast of Bakhmut and southwest of the city of Donetsk. he lists.
Since leaving Lysychansk in early July, Ukrainian troops have ‘shortened’ their defense line, allowing them to ‘focus’ their forces ‘against reduced Russian attacks and has helped reduce Russia’s momentum,’ he noted for his part of the British Ministry of Defence.
Source: BFM TV
