Russia-Ukraine conflict: Kyiv says Moscow is preparing for the next offensive

Both Russia and Ukraine are ramping up their offensives on each other as the war is moving towards its fifth month. Kyiv said Moscow is preparing for the next phase of its offensive on the country.

A Ukrainian military official said over the weekend that Russia is gearing up for the next phase of its offensive on the country. This comes as Russia said its forces are ramping up their attacks on “all operational areas.”

“It is not only possible missile strikes from air and sea,” said Ukrainian military intelligence spokesperson Vadym Skibitskyi Saturday. “We can see shelling along the entire line of contact, along the entire front line. There is an active use of tactical aviation and attack helicopters.”

“Clearly preparations are now underway for the next stage of the offensive,” said Skibitskyi.

The Ukrainian military said that Russian forces appear to be regrouping units to launch an offensive on Sloviansk, a key city held down by Ukraine in its eastern territory of Donetsk.

The UK’s defense ministry said Sunday that Russia is also reinforcing its defenses across the areas it occupies in Ukraine’s southern region after facing pressure from Ukrainian forces and vows by Ukrainian leaders to drive Russia out.

At least 40 people have been killed by the Russian shelling of urban areas since Thursday last week.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia continues to sow grief and death on Ukrainian soil eight years since the shooting down of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 over eastern Ukraine back in 2014.

According to international investigators, the plane was shot down by a Russian-backed militia in the region using a surface-to-air missile.

Russia continues to bombard Ukraine with missiles and mines, killing civilians despite Moscow’s denial that its forces are targeting civilians. A Russian strike hit the Chuhuiv in the northeastern Ukrainian region of Kharkiv overnight Saturday, according to the regional governor.

Regional governor Oleh Synehubov and law enforcement authorities said Russian rockets hit a two-story residential building, a school, and a shop.

Three people were killed during the strike, and three others were wounded. Kharkiv is partially occupied by Russian forces, and Chuhuiv is only six kilometers away from the Russian positions in the area.