Russia likely to shift to Ukraine’s east, as governor warns of big attack
- Moscow may deploy thousands of soldiers to the region in hope that success there can help ‘mask’ earlier failures, Biden’s national security adviser says
- A local official is warning that Russia’s forces are preparing for a strong offensive in the Luhansk region, and called for a mass evacuation
Russia probably plans to deploy tens of thousands of soldiers in eastern Ukraine as it shifts its focus to the country’s south and east, US President Joe Biden’s national security adviser Jake Sullivan said on Monday.
“At this juncture we believe Russia is revising its war aims” to focus on “eastern and parts of southern Ukraine rather than target most of the territory,” Sullivan told reporters at the White House.
The goal was likely to “surround and overwhelm” Ukrainian forces in the region, he said. “Russia could then use any tactical success it achieves to propagate a narrative of progress and mask … prior military failure.”
Sullivan’s comments came as a local governor warned that Moscow’s forces are preparing for a major offensive in the region, and called for a mass evacuation.
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Russian troops accused of war crimes after mass graves found in Bucha near Ukrainian capital
A senior Pentagon official said Russia has removed about two-thirds of the troops it had around Kyiv – who were mostly sent back to Belarus with plans to redeploy elsewhere in Ukraine.
Sullivan said the Biden administration would announce fresh military assistance for Ukraine in coming days, adding that further sanctions against Russian energy are on the table in talks with European allies.
