Kiev: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has warned that Russia is likely to “even larger operations in the east of our state”, urging citizens to prepare for a fresh round of assault amid the ongoing war.
In his latest nightly video address, the President said: “They can use even more missiles against us, even more air bombs… But we are preparing for their actions. We will respond.”
Zelenksy’s warning came after General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces said on Sunday evening that Russia was trying to prepare for an offensive operation in the eastern Donbas region.
“Russia keeps on regrouping, increasing the management system and logistics of troops. The Russian occupying forces are moving battalion tactical groups from the Eastern and Central military districts to the Belgorod, Voronezh and Kursk regions bordering Ukraine,” Ukrayinska Pravda quoted the General Staff as saying in a statement.
It also claimed that Russian troops were facing a number of problems, including a lack of spare parts and certain types of artillery ammunition, as well as issues in the system of storage and supply of material and technical facilities.
Meanwhile, Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate said that Russia has stepped up its “mobilisation” campaign in the Donbas region and started to draft men who are not eligible for conscription, the BBC reported.
According to the military intelligence service, several mobile brigades are operating in the self-proclaimed Luhansk People’s Republic, where they stop men and issue them with a summons to come to a military enlistment office.
Earlier, the UK’s Ministry of Defence said in its latest public intelligence update that Russia was trying to boost troop numbers with personnel discharged since 2012.
(IANS)
