31 August 2022, Wednesday, 10:10 619

Russians preparing for Ukraine’s counteroffensive, transferring heavy equipment and strengthening forces

Редактор: Roman Vaniyan

Troops of the Russian Federation are preparing for a wider offensive of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, adjusting their positions at the front and transferring equipment.

This is stated in the report of the American Institute for the Study of War (ISW) on August 30.

It is noted that Russian forces continue to transfer large convoys of military equipment from Crimea and will probably continue preparations for the defense of Melitopol, a strategically important hub between the Rostov region and southern Ukraine.

In Kherson region, the Russian Federation is trying to rotate troops "in an attempt to strengthen some vulnerable positions."

In addition, Russia is strengthening the grouping of troops in Donetsk region with the forces of the Central Military District, which previously operated in the Lysychansk-Siversk area and "interrupted the operational pause" in mid-August.

"The movement of Central Military District units to Donetsk region also shows that Russian forces are abandoning the offensive on Siversk in favor of maintaining the pace of the offensive in Donetsk region," the ISW emphasized.

Analysts recalled that the Russian offensive in the Avdiyivka area and the western part of Donetsk actually reached its climax after a limited breakthrough around the Butivska coal mine.

"The redeployment implies that the Russian command has realized that it cannot conduct more than one offensive operation at the same time," the report says.

Experts also mentioned the transfer of the third army corps, consisting of poorly trained and inexperienced soldiers, to strengthen the positions of the Russian Federation in Kharkiv and Zaporizhzhia regions. Its deployment indicates that Russia seeks to restore combat power for an offensive in the Donetsk direction or for the defense of Kherson.

As Ukrainian News reported, on August 29, Ukrainian troops broke through the first line of defense of the Russian invaders near Kherson.

The AFU also took the occupiers in Kharkiv region into the ring.

On August 30, the adviser to Head of the Presidential Office Mykhailo Podoliak said that Ukraine is developing and preparing evacuation routes for residents who want to leave the temporarily occupied Crimea during its active liberation.