{"id":3786,"date":"2023-02-07T16:28:40","date_gmt":"2023-02-07T16:28:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/londonpost.news\/?p=3786"},"modified":"2023-03-23T18:53:30","modified_gmt":"2023-03-23T18:53:30","slug":"new-offensive-expected-as-russian-reinforcements-pour-into-eastern-ukraine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/analysis\/defense\/new-offensive-expected-as-russian-reinforcements-pour-into-eastern-ukraine\/2023\/02\/07\/admin1\/","title":{"rendered":"New offensive expected as Russian reinforcements pour into eastern Ukraine"},"content":{"rendered":"

Moscow (AFP) <\/span>Russia<\/span> has<\/span> sent<\/span> reinforcements<\/span> to<\/span> eastern<\/span> Ukraine<\/span> ahead<\/span> of<\/span> a<\/span> new<\/span> offensive<\/span> that<\/span> could<\/span> begin<\/span> next<\/span> week<\/span> along<\/span> a<\/span> front<\/span> that<\/span> has<\/span> been<\/span> fought<\/span> relentlessly<\/span> for<\/span> months,<\/span> the<\/span> Ukrainian<\/span> governor<\/span> said.<\/span><\/p>\n

Russia has asked the US embassy in Moscow to stop spreading what the Kremlin believes to be fake news about military operations in Ukraine and has threatened to expel US diplomats, according to TASS.<\/span><\/p>\n

Russia<\/span> has<\/span> sent<\/span> reinforcements<\/span> to<\/span> eastern<\/span> Ukraine<\/span> ahead<\/span> of<\/span> a<\/span> new<\/span> offensive<\/span> expected<\/span> to<\/span> start<\/span> next<\/span> week<\/span> along<\/span> a<\/span> front<\/span> that<\/span> has<\/span> been<\/span> relentlessly<\/span> fought<\/span> for<\/span> months,<\/span> the<\/span> Ukrainian<\/span> governor<\/span> said.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>A<\/span> Moscow<\/span> court<\/span> on<\/span> Tuesday<\/span> upheld<\/span> an<\/span> earlier<\/span> decision<\/span> to<\/span> revoke<\/span> the<\/span> license<\/span> of<\/span> a<\/span> top<\/span> independent<\/span> newspaper<\/span> that<\/span> has<\/span> criticized<\/span> the<\/span> Kremlin<\/span> for<\/span> years<\/span> as<\/span> part<\/span> of<\/span> a<\/span> crackdown<\/span> on<\/span> dissenting<\/span> authorities.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>However,<\/span> it<\/span> remains<\/span> unlikely<\/span> that<\/span> Russia<\/span> will<\/span> be<\/span> able<\/span> to<\/span> build<\/span> the<\/span> military<\/span> necessary<\/span> to<\/span> significantly<\/span> affect<\/span> the<\/span> outcome<\/span> of<\/span> the<\/span> war<\/span> in<\/span> the<\/span> coming<\/span> weeks.<\/span> Construction<\/span> of<\/span> a<\/span> protective<\/span> structure<\/span> for<\/span> the<\/span> main<\/span> facility<\/span> of<\/span> the<\/span> Zaporizhia<\/span> nuclear<\/span> power<\/span> plant<\/span> in<\/span> southeastern<\/span> Ukraine<\/span> is<\/span> nearing<\/span> completion,<\/span> Russian<\/span> state<\/span> news<\/span> agency<\/span> TASS<\/span> said<\/span> on<\/span> Tuesday,<\/span> citing<\/span> a<\/span> top<\/span> adviser<\/span> to<\/span> the<\/span> Russian<\/span> nuclear<\/span> power<\/span> plant<\/span> operator.<\/span> reported.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Europe’s<\/span> largest<\/span> Zaporizhia<\/span> nuclear<\/span> power<\/span> plant<\/span> was<\/span> captured<\/span> by<\/span> Russian<\/span> forces<\/span> last<\/span> March<\/span> in<\/span> the<\/span> early<\/span> days<\/span> of<\/span> Moscow’s<\/span> invasion<\/span> of<\/span> Ukraine.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>It<\/span> remains<\/span> close<\/span> to<\/span> the<\/span> front<\/span> lines,<\/span> is<\/span> under<\/span> repeated<\/span> attacks,<\/span> and<\/span> fuels<\/span> fears<\/span> of<\/span> a<\/span> nuclear<\/span> catastrophe.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Russian<\/span> Foreign<\/span> Minister<\/span> Sergei<\/span> Lavrov<\/span> arrived<\/span> in<\/span> Mali<\/span> early<\/span> Tuesday<\/span> morning<\/span> with<\/span> the<\/span> military<\/span> junta’s<\/span> leaders<\/span> to<\/span> seek<\/span> Moscow’s<\/span> help<\/span> in<\/span> dealing<\/span> with<\/span> the<\/span> Islamist<\/span> insurgency<\/span> that<\/span> has<\/span> entrenched<\/span> despite<\/span> years<\/span> of<\/span> fighting.<\/span> talked.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Since<\/span> taking<\/span> control<\/span> of<\/span> Mali<\/span> in<\/span> his<\/span> two<\/span> coups<\/span> since<\/span> August<\/span> 2020,<\/span> the<\/span> military<\/span> junta<\/span> led<\/span> by<\/span> Colonel<\/span> Asimigoita<\/span> has<\/span> sought<\/span> to<\/span> help<\/span> fight<\/span> the<\/span> jihad<\/span> after<\/span> successfully<\/span> demanding<\/span> the<\/span> withdrawal<\/span> of<\/span> French<\/span> troops.<\/span> Accepted<\/span> Russian<\/span> help.<\/span> Ukraine,<\/span> desperate<\/span> for<\/span> Western<\/span> military<\/span> aid<\/span> to<\/span> arrive,<\/span> believes<\/span> Russia<\/span> could<\/span> launch<\/span> a<\/span> major<\/span> offensive<\/span> around<\/span> February<\/span> 24,<\/span> the<\/span> anniversary<\/span> of<\/span> the<\/span> invasion,<\/span> for<\/span> “symbolic”<\/span> reasons.<\/span> Ukraine<\/span> itself<\/span> is<\/span> planning<\/span> a<\/span> spring<\/span> offensive<\/span> to<\/span> regain<\/span> lost<\/span> territory<\/span> but<\/span> is<\/span> awaiting<\/span> promised<\/span> Western<\/span> deliveries<\/span> of<\/span> long-range<\/span> missiles<\/span> and<\/span> main<\/span> battle<\/span> tanks,<\/span> some<\/span> analysts<\/span> say<\/span> He<\/span> said<\/span> it<\/span> would<\/span> take<\/span> several<\/span> months<\/span> to<\/span> be<\/span> ready.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Ukrainian<\/span> President<\/span> Volodymyr<\/span> Zelensky<\/span> has<\/span> called<\/span> for<\/span> an<\/span> end<\/span> to<\/span> the<\/span> spread<\/span> of<\/span> “rumors”.<\/span>
\n<\/span>Or<\/span> any<\/span> other<\/span> “pseudo-information”<\/span> that<\/span> could<\/span> undermine<\/span> unity<\/span> in<\/span> the<\/span> war<\/span> with<\/span> Russia.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>His<\/span> remarks<\/span> in<\/span> a<\/span> speech<\/span> before<\/span> parliament<\/span> appeared<\/span> to<\/span> end<\/span> public<\/span> speculation<\/span> about<\/span> whether<\/span> Defense<\/span> Minister<\/span> Oleksiy<\/span> Reznikov<\/span> would<\/span> be<\/span> deposed,<\/span> stressing<\/span> that<\/span> only<\/span> the<\/span> president<\/span> can<\/span> make<\/span> and<\/span> announce<\/span> such<\/span> a<\/span> decision.<\/span> .<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Senior<\/span> lawmaker<\/span> and<\/span> presidential<\/span> ally<\/span> David<\/span> Alakamir<\/span> said<\/span> on<\/span> Sunday<\/span> that<\/span> Reznikov<\/span> would<\/span> be<\/span> replaced<\/span> following<\/span> the<\/span> ministry’s<\/span> corruption<\/span> scandal.<\/span> The<\/span> next<\/span> day,<\/span> Alakamia<\/span> said<\/span> there<\/span> would<\/span> be<\/span> no<\/span> personnel<\/span> changes<\/span> this<\/span> week,<\/span> and<\/span> appeared<\/span> to<\/span> have<\/span> turned<\/span> back<\/span> after<\/span> Zelensky<\/span> remained<\/span> silent<\/span> about<\/span> Reznikov’s<\/span> future<\/span> and<\/span> other<\/span> politicians<\/span> publicly<\/span> defended<\/span> the<\/span> minister’s<\/span> record.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Russian<\/span> Defense<\/span> Minister<\/span> Sergei<\/span> Shoigu<\/span> said<\/span> on<\/span> Tuesday<\/span> that<\/span> Moscow<\/span> forces<\/span> had<\/span> “successfully<\/span> advanced”<\/span> near<\/span> the<\/span> eastern<\/span> Ukraine<\/span> cities<\/span> of<\/span> Bakhmut<\/span> and<\/span> Vkhredal<\/span> and<\/span> warned<\/span> Western<\/span> countries<\/span> not<\/span> to<\/span> ramp<\/span> up<\/span> arms<\/span> supplies<\/span> to<\/span> Kyiv.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Russian<\/span> shelling<\/span> hit<\/span> more<\/span> civilian<\/span> targets<\/span> in<\/span> Ukraine,<\/span> setting<\/span> hospitals<\/span> on<\/span> fire<\/span> and<\/span> damaging<\/span> five<\/span> apartments<\/span> in<\/span> one<\/span> city,<\/span> local<\/span> officials<\/span> said<\/span> Tuesday.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Moscow (AFP) Russia has sent reinforcements to eastern Ukraine ahead of a new offensive that could begin next week along a front that has been fought relentlessly for months, the Ukrainian governor said. Russia has asked the US embassy in Moscow to stop spreading what the Kremlin believes to be fake news about military operations […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":3787,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":""},"categories":[26,24,276,2480,2482],"tags":[76,154,156,170,174],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/UKRINERUSSIAWAR.webp","amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3786"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3786"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3786\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3789,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3786\/revisions\/3789"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3787"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3786"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3786"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3786"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}