Russia has significantly strengthened its forces around the city of Bakhmut in Eastern Ukraine and moved troops from defense to “active action”.
“In the Bakhmut area, the enemy has significantly strengthened its formation and switched from defense to active action,” General Oleksandr Syrskyi, Commander of the Ukrainian Army, said on October 30.
He admitted that the situation on the Eastern front was very difficult as Russian forces increased operations near the Ukrainian-controlled town of Kupiansk. He said that here, Russia is looking to attack simultaneously in many directions.
On the other hand, he said, Russia suffered great losses here.
Bakhmut is in Donetsk province. This was once the fiercest and bloodiest fighting front between the Ukrainian and Russian armies.
Moscow took control of Bakhmut in May. Ukraine launched a counterattack in June to regain Bakhmut as well as other territories in the East and South.
Meanwhile, at the Avdiivka front in Donetsk, Russia is concentrating its forces on controlling this strategic city, according to the latest report, by the General Staff of Ukraine. Avdiivka is located south of Bakhmut and was once controlled by Russia, but Ukraine took it back in September.
Avdiivka and Bakhmut play important roles in Moscow’s plan to completely control Eastern Ukraine.
Both Russia and Ukraine are said to be stepping up military operations before the weather turns unfavorable in the fall and winter. Russian officials repeatedly declared that Ukraine’s counterattack campaign had failed and suffered heavy losses.
According to Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, Ukraine has lost more than 90,000 troops after nearly 5 months of counterattack. “Since June 4 when Ukraine began to counterattack, Kiev has lost more than 90,000 troops, about 600 tanks and nearly 1,900 armored vehicles. Ukraine has not achieved meaningful success on the battlefield,” Mr. Shoigu said. performed at the Xiangshan National Defense Forum in Beijing, China, on October 30.
He also emphasized that Russia is ready to discuss a post-conflict solution to the crisis in Ukraine and coexistence with the West.
“In case the necessary conditions are established, we remain ready for pragmatic political discussions both on a post-conflict solution to the Ukrainian crisis and on coexistence with the West.” West in general,” Mr. Shoigu said.
He said that the West is using Ukraine as a tool to cause “strategic defeat” for Russia after Moscow responded to NATO’s expansion to the east.
The Russian Defense Minister said that the West’s strategy to increase pressure on Russia could lead to a military confrontation between nuclear powers.
“The West’s policy of continuously escalating confrontation with Russia poses the risk of direct military conflict between nuclear powers,” Minister Shoigu said.
Moscow has repeatedly criticized the West’s continued supply of weapons to Ukraine. Russia believes that this cannot change the situation on the battlefield but will only escalate and prolong the conflict.
