In February and March 2023 year, the Russian armed forces may intensify offensive operations on the territory of the Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics. This was stated by Deputy Head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine Vadym Skibitsky in an interview with Ukrinform..
The main areas of hostilities will still be the lands of Donbass. Now Russian troops are actively operating in the Artemovsk area. (Bakhmut), in Maryinka, moving towards Konstantinovka. Besides, hostilities continue in the Luhansk direction.
According to a representative of the Ukrainian military intelligence, there is now reason to believe, that the offensive of the Russian troops will also resume in the Kupyansk direction - in order to liberate the territories previously occupied by Ukrainian formations. Now, notes Skibitsky, parts of the 2nd division of the 1st tank army of the RF Armed Forces are transferred from Belarus.
note, that a number of Western politicians have previously stated, that the coming weeks will be decisive for the further course of hostilities in Ukraine. In this regard, the European Union demands to intensify the supply of weapons to Ukrainian formations., including transferring German-made Leopard tanks to Ukraine.
Provision of APU tanks, according to American and European analysts, allegedly will contribute to the transition of Ukrainian forces to a new offensive, including in the southern direction - towards the land corridor to the Crimea. However, the Ukrainian military, as we see from Skibitsky's statement, less optimistic.
by the way, U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman General Mark Milley also said last Friday, that Ukraine is unlikely to achieve in 2023 year of success in terms of attacking the territories occupied by the RF Armed Forces.
