Russia has launched a major offensive in the east of Ukraine and is trying to break through the defenses near the city of Kreminna, the governor of the Luhansk region, Serhii Gaidai, said on Ukrainian television on Thursday, The Guardian quotes.

Russian troops have gone on the attack and are trying to advance west through the winter landscape, snow and forests. “Maximum escalation” took place, shootings and explosions increased massively, Serhii Haidai said, quoted by News.ro.

“The fighting intensified. Last night they started another offensive. As long as we keep our position, but it is difficult. They attack in small groups, usually groups of 15 people. We have many wounded, but they have many more victims,” ​​said Ukrainian military officer Artur, who is fighting in Kreminnaya.

“These attacks are almost daily. We see small groups (of Russian soldiers) trying to advance, sometimes with the support of heavy armored vehicles – BMP – and tanks. There is continuous shooting,” the Luhansk governor confirmed.

However, he claims that so far the offensive has not brought results. “Until they succeeded. Our defenders managed to block them,” he said.

Russia is preparing a big blow

Western governments believe that Russia is planning a major attack on Ukraine, possibly as early as next week, when February 24 marks the one-year anniversary of the war. Moscow’s main goal is to seize Donbas, including Luhansk, which is partially controlled by Ukraine.

Ukrainian government sources say one scenario would include ballistic missile strikes on major cities, including Kyiv, and an attempt to isolate the east of the country by bombing bridges and advancing in an arc from the north and south.

However, military analysts are skeptical that Russia has enough infantry units to advance quickly into Ukrainian territory. However, they admit that some sections of the Russian-Ukrainian border are poorly defended, and the bulk of Ukrainian forces are now concentrated in eastern Donetsk Oblast, where fighting is taking place around the town of Bakhmut.

Serhii Gaidai, head of the Luhansk Regional Military Administration (Photo: David Goldman / AP / Profimedia)

Kramatorsk, the key center

There are increasing signs that, while Russia’s broader military strategy is unknown, a major offensive in the east has already begun.

Russian troops, which last autumn occupied almost the entire Kharkiv region and entered Luhansk, covered and brought up reinforcements, are now advancing on a wide front to the west of the cities of Svatove and Kreminna.

A break through Ukrainian lines there would bring Russian forces a step closer to the much larger city of Kramatorsk, a key Ukrainian military center. Gaidai stated that Ukraine needs heavy equipment and artillery ammunition. “Then we will not only be able to hold the defense, but also be able to conduct a good counter-offensive operation,” the governor said.

Svatov and Kreminna, about 100 km northwest of Luhansk, were occupied by Moscow last spring. Before Ukraine’s counteroffensive last year, Russia controlled the Luhansk region, partially seized in 2014, except for a few villages.

“Kreminsk forests are scary”

Videos and photos show that Russian troops have suffered losses recently. In his Telegram channel, Gaidai refers to an interview on Russian state television with the crew of a tank support combat vehicle called “Terminator”. The triumphant report on the First Channel was filmed in the forests of the Luhansk region.

Gaidai wrote that the tank, which was the star of the “main propaganda TV show”, has now been removed. He posted a photo as proof.

“So many nice words about tanks that are almost impossible to destroy… Almost,” the governor wrote, posting two emojis that represent laughter with tears. “The Kremen forests are scary,” he commented, News.ro reports.

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