Russia pounds Ukraine’s south, east

Russian forces bombarded Ukrainian positions along the frontlines in eastern Donetsk region yesterday in what appeared to be early salvoes of a new offensive as Nato allies met in Brussels to plan stepped-up supplies to the Kyiv government.

The Donetsk region city of Bakhmut, a major target for Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invading troops, was in a precarious position.

“There is not a single square metre in Bakhmut that is safe or that is not in range of enemy fire or drones,” regional governor Pavlo Kyrylenko told Ukraine’s national broadcaster.

He said Russian artillery was hitting targets all along the frontlines in Donetsk, which along with Luhansk region makes up the Donbas, Ukraine’s industrial heartland and a main objective for the Russians.

With the first anniversary of the invasion approaching, the Kremlin has intensified operations across a broad area of southern and eastern Ukraine and a major new offensive has been widely anticipated.

Nato Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on Monday that the bombardments and ground attacks indicated the offensive was already underway.

Ukraine’s military said yesterday its forces had repelled attacks in five settlements in Luhansk and six in Donetsk, including in Bakhmut, over the past 24 hours.

They had also beaten back an attack on a town in Kharkiv region, which borders Russia in northeast Ukraine.

“The situations is difficult as a whole, but controlled,” Kyrylenko said. “The enemy has not been able to achieve a tactical or strategic success there.”

The Russian assault on Bakhmut has been spearheaded by mercenaries of the Wagner group. Britain’s defence ministry said yesterday the mercenaries had made small gains in the northern outskirts in the past three days.

The capture of Bakhmut would give Russia a new foothold in Donetsk and a rare victory after months of setbacks.