Last night ISW reported that the expected Russian major offensive is underway.
Russian forces are on the offensive on several fronts, writes the think tank Institute for the Study of War night to Thursday.
On Thursday morning, Ukrainian military leaders report that they have repelled attacks at 19 different locations along the front.
One of the areas targeted by the attacks is Luhansk, which was warned in advance. But several sources believed that the offensive would not come until later, and that new equipment would arrive at the front in time.
On Tuesday, the think tank announced that Russian forces were preparing a major offensive in eastern Ukraine.
In recent weeks, Ukraine has been preparing for a new major Russian offensive in Donetsk county, in the east of the country. The first anniversary of the war – 24 February – was singled out as a possible start date.
– Kyiv has obtained very solid intelligence that Russia will launch the attack, and it could come within ten days, an unnamed adviser in the Ukrainian military is said to have told the newspaper Financial Times.
Andrej Chernyak of the Ukrainian intelligence service claimed on Wednesday last week to the Kyiv Post that Putin has ordered a takeover of Donetsk and Luhansk counties by March.
