Russian troops have made tentative progress in recent weeks in the east of the country, where most of the fighting is currently taking place. The center of gravity is currently in and around the strategically important city of Bachmoet. That city is an important symbol for the Ukrainians. Whether they will (have to) withdraw is still uncertain.
Kiev expects a large-scale new offensive by the end of the month. It has been a year since Russia invaded Ukraine. According to Zelensky, the Russians are therefore increasing the pressure on the Ukrainians. “They want to make up for all the losses from the past year,” he says. “We see that they are increasing the pressure in various places along the front, including in the information flows.”
