The UK defense ministry in its intelligence report said Russia has increased the intensity of its operations in the Donbas as it seeks to encircle Severodonetsk, Lyschansk, and Rubizhne.
“At present, the northern and southern axes of this operation are separated by approximately 25 km of Ukrainian-held territory,” the ministry said.
Strong Ukrainian opposition has emerged, with soldiers manning well-dug defensive positions. This front is expected to remain under the effective command and control of Ukraine's long-established Joint Force Operation.
However, because of the concentration of artillery forces, Russia had some localized victories.
“Russia’s capture of the Severodonetsk pocket would see the whole of Luhansk Oblast placed under Russian occupation,” the Minister of Defense said in a tweet.
While this operation is presently Russia's primary focus, it is merely one aspect of Russia's larger strategy to capture Donbas.
“If the Donbas front line moves further west, this will extend Russian lines of communication and likely see its forces face further logistic resupply difficulties,” the report said.
Picture Credits: Reuters
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