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On the 393rd day of the war, the Ukrainian armed forces have announced that they consider that, despite the constant attacks, the Russian assault on the city of Bakhmut (east) is losing strength considerably and that the Ukrainian troops “will take advantage of it very soon” to liberate the city. This has been stated by the head of the Ukrainian land forces, General Oleksandr Sirski, in what seems to be an announcement of the expected Ukrainian offensive after receiving the first Western tanks. Other sources had already appreciated in recent days the Russian stalemate in the city, which they consider key to controlling the entire Donbas region.
Russian troops fear this Ukrainian counteroffensive in Bakhmut. The town has concentrated some of the bloodiest attacks between both sides, which have intensified the clashes there in recent months. The head of the Russian Wagner mercenary group, Yevgueni Prigozhin, has communicated through his official Telegram channel that the Ukrainian Armed Forces have concentrated more than 80,000 troops in the vicinity of Bakhmut, according to calculations made by the mercenary group, fighting alongside the Russian army.
In addition, the Russian side fears that this counteroffensive will go beyond Bakhmut and also extend to the northeast. The fighting in the north of the Lugansk province has intensified throughout this month of March. Russian forces have partially regained control of access to the city of Kremina, according to the latest report from the UK Ministry of Defense, issued on Thursday. “Russian commanders are likely trying to expand the security zone to the west of the defense lines and integrate the natural obstacle of the Oskil River. It is likely that they will try to recapture Kupiansk, a logistics node, ”explains British intelligence. London believes Moscow is concentrating on defending the northeast as it fears Ukraine could launch major offensive operations there.
Western allies continue to provide assistance to Ukraine to bolster its offensive and defense plans. The Finnish Defense Minister, Antti Kaikkonen, announced on Thursday that the new military aid package for Ukraine, the fourteenth since the outbreak of the war, will include three Leopard 2 model battle tanks. However, the Finnish authorities have rejected the sending of combat planes to Ukraine because, according to Kaikkonen, Helsinki will need them “urgently” in the “next years”.
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Even so, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has asked European Union leaders to hand him modern planes and long-range missiles because, otherwise, the Ukrainian leader believes the war will drag on, sources have explained. European. The president has intervened by videoconference in the meeting of the heads of State of the Twenty-seven that has been held this Thursday in Brussels.
The rest of the day, Zelensky has visited the Kherson region, one of the provinces of the war front, located in the south. There, he has promised to rebuild everything that the Russians have destroyed during their occupation. The day before, he had traveled to Donetsk and had passed through Bakhmut, the bloodiest scene of the war.
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