Military analysts say Moscow is mobilizing troops south of Izyum, the gateway to the Donbas, to launch a major offensive on the town of Slovyansk. In its own briefing, the British Ministry of Defense said that Moscow was trying to “regain momentum in this area to put further pressure on Severodonetsk and give it the option to go deeper into the Donetsk Region”. If the Kremlin’s offensive is successful, it will leave Ukrainian troops almost entirely surrounded by Russian forces in Severodonetsk. Volodymyr Zelensky, President of Ukraine, said that the fate of Donbas is in the hard fight for the war-torn city. In a speech late Wednesday, Mr Zelensky said:[On] On the 105th day of the full war, Severodonetsk remains the epicenter of the conflict in Donbas. We defend our positions and inflict significant losses on the enemy. This is a very tough battle, very difficult. “Probably one of the most difficult for this war, for all those who are defending themselves in this direction. In many ways, Donbass’s fate is being judged there. “
Western European missile supplies are slow to arrive
Local officials have lamented the lack of large-scale firepower available to Ukrainian troops, with the Russians being able to strike them from great distances. “The Russians are seeking to take advantage of the time they have by using their artillery to try to penetrate the Ukrainian defenses in Donbas,” the Ukrainian intelligence report said. He added: “The tactical situation on the eastern front is as follows; the Ukrainian side has almost depleted its stockpiles of Smerch and Uragan MLRS missiles, which made it possible to effectively prevent Russian attacks during the first months of the war at long distances. [37 to 50 miles]. “Today, the maximum range of the Armed Forces of Ukraine is [15.5 miles]. This is the range at which the 152/155 mm caliber artillery and the Grad MLRS units that remain in service can fire. “ Western governments, including the United Kingdom and the United States, have promised to send powerful multi-launcher missile systems to Kyiv capable of hitting targets up to 80 miles away, but deliveries have been slow, sources say.
