Fears grow in Ukraine as Russia ramps up military offensive

Moscow plans a major offensive at the end of May, the Financial Times reported. Anonymous sources in the British newspaper said the Russians are already preparing to carry out the operation.

The British newspaper's sources claim that before the start of the "major offensive", Russian invaders conducted missile raids on Kharkiv and other strategically important areas to "soften the battlefield".

In addition, anonymous sources affiliated with the Armed Forces of Ukraine indicated in a conversation with "Bild" that the defenders fear an attack on the city. They predict that the Kremlin may involve even 20-40 thousand soldiers in the battle.

Russian forces have likely taken the town of Ocheretyne in the Donetsk region in eastern Ukraine. Within a few days, the aggressor's forces moved nearly 7 kilometres westward on this front section - announced Monday by the independent Russian portal Meduza. The Ukrainian side has not confirmed these reports.

The Deep State project, close to the Ministry of Defence in Kyiv, reported overnight from Saturday to Sunday that enemy forces control about 80 per cent of Ocheretyne, and fighting for the remaining part of the town continues.

According to Business Insider, Russian forces practically encountered no resistance in Ocheretyne, as the Ukrainians made a mistake during the rotation of forces. The 47th mechanized brigade that had been fighting there was supposed to be replaced by the 115th mechanized brigade. Still, Meduza reported that this formation did not arrive in time at the combat positions.

The service emphasized that the Russians' recent advances in Ocheretyne and its surroundings occurred on the most dangerous section of the front for the Ukrainian side.

Also on Monday, the Ministry of Defence in Moscow announced that Russian forces had taken the village of Semeniwka, located a few kilometres northwest of the city of Avdiivka, captured by the aggressor in mid-February. In this case, too, there has not yet been an official statement from the Ukrainian armed forces.