Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered Russian forces to capture Donbass in eastern Ukraine by March, according to Andrei Yusov, a representative of Ukraine’s main intelligence directorate at the defense ministry.
“Nevertheless, we can talk about the priority direction for the rashists – that is Donbass,” Yusov said on Tuesday. “This is the goal of conquering Donbass and creating a certain security zone there before March.”
The alleged orders come just days after Putin sought out General Valery Gerasimov, who previously led Russian forces in Ukraine in the early days of last year’s war, and re-promoted him to command Russian troops. The decision has raised questions about whether Putin is interested in launching a new offensive operation.
However, Ukrainian intelligence is not confident that Russia will be able to capture the Donbass by March, as Kremlin forces failed to finish what should be a quick takeover campaign last February.
“These aren’t first dates. Each time these deadlines have been postponed. A year has passed since the start of a full-scale invasion, and a year since they “took Kyiv for three days,” Yusov said. “Nothing will work this time.”
The Kremlin has avoided questions about the Donbass orders in recent days. When asked to comment on the reports about the new targets, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov declined.
“No I can’t [comment on it] and have no intention of doing it,” Peskov said, according to TASS.
Ukrainian authorities, including Ukrainian President Zelensky himself, have hinted that Moscow may be ready to launch a new attack in the new year, to try and seize any initiative it can after a series of battlefield defeats. After months of logistical and morale problems among Russian forces, Ukraine launched numerous counter-offensives last year, forcing Russia out of areas in south-eastern and north-eastern Ukraine, including in Kherson.
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization has begun to recognize that the war may be about to enter a new phase. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said the war comes at a crucial time and urged NATO allies to send more weapons to Ukraine to ensure a victory against Russia.
“We are in a crucial phase of the war,” Stoltenberg told the Handelsblatt. “That’s why it’s important that we provide Ukraine with the weapons it needs to win.”
In recent days, Russia has continued its attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure, according to a Tuesday briefing by Ukraine’s military. Just this weekend, Russian attacks rained down on an apartment complex in Dnipro, killing 44 people, according to Dnipro Mayor Borys Filatov.
“Without significant successes on the battlefield, the enemy is hitting peaceful settlements,” said Andriy Kovalev, spokesman for the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. “The Russian aggressor continues to destroy infrastructure and civilian housing.”
Russia recently claimed it was making progress in Soledar, where fierce fighting has broken out. But despite obvious moments of success, Russia’s war effort has been riddled with power struggles; Russia’s military claimed victory at Soledar, only to be contradicted by fighters from the Wagner Group’s mercenary group, who have accused the Russian government of crediting Wagner’s work at Soledar.
And although Russia has already staked its claim on Soledar, reports suggest Ukrainians are still fighting, RFE/RL reported.