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NATO says Russian troops regrouping, shifting their focus to the east to try to take Donbas region
The US News reported, citing Reuters, NATO Secretary-General Jensen Stolen said on Tuesday (5 Apr), Russia is likely to launch a new offensive in Ukraine's eastern Donbas region in the next few weeks. He added that allies had time to help prepare the Ukrainian military.
Speaking a day before NATO foreign ministers gather in Brussels to discuss more financial, military and humanitarian support for Ukraine, Stoltenberg said Russia was planning a "very concentrated" offensive.
Stoltenberg told a news conference: "We now see a significant movement of (Russian) troops away from Kyiv to regroup, re-arm and re-supply and shift their focus to the east."
He said before Wednesday's meeting of NATO foreign ministers: "In the coming weeks, we expect a further Russian push in eastern and southern Ukraine to try to take the entire Donbas and to create a land bridge to occupied Crimea."
Stoltenberg's comments appeared to confirm Moscow's announcement in late March that it was refocusing on "the complete liberation of the Donbas", an industrial region partly under Russian-backed separatist control since 2014.
Stoltenberg said it would be a new, crucial phase of Russia's Feb. 24 invasion, which the Kremlin calls a "special military operation".
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He said: "Repositioning of the Russian troops will take some time, some weeks."
He said that: "In that window, it is extremely important that NATO allies provide support".
Stoltenberg said that Foreign ministers on Wednesday and Thursday are set to discuss how to send more anti-tank weapons, ammunition and medical supplies to Ukraine.
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Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba is expect to attend part of the two-day meeting in Brussels.
Source: usnews
