Ukraine president says Russia preparing major winter offensive

On November 13, Reuters quoted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's nightly online speech as saying that the country's people need to prepare for a new wave of Russian attacks on energy infrastructure as winter approaches.

“We are almost halfway through November and must prepare for the fact that the enemy may increase the number of drone or missile attacks on our infrastructure,” President Zelensky said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. (Photo: AP)

Mr. Zelensky said that Kiev will focus resources on defense by all means to overcome the winter of 2023 as well as improve the combat capabilities of the Ukrainian army.

Previously, in October 2022, Russia conducted large-scale airstrikes on Kiev's energy facilities, including power plants, causing widespread power outages.

Ukrainian Energy Minister German Galushchenko said Kiev would have enough energy to get through the winter, but made clear how any Russian attacks would impact those plans.

Russia has attacked Ukrainian infrastructure 60 times in recent weeks, Ukrainian officials said on November 8, a sign that an offensive campaign may be underway.

The Ukrainian president also predicted that the Russian army could launch a major attack on the eastern front of Ukraine before the weather turns colder.

A Ukrainian military spokesman said Russian attacks on the strategic town of Avdiivka in the Donetsk region had cooled down for now but could heat up again in the coming days.

In his speech, President Zelensky also praised the "heroic" efforts of the forces defending Avdiivka, under pressure from Russian advances since mid-October.

Ukrainian Army Commander General Oleksandr Syrskyi said in a Telegram post that Russian forces are shifting their offensive to the Bakhmut area and trying to retake lost positions.

Bakhmut - north of the city of Donetsk - was taken over by Russian forces in May 2023 after months of fierce fighting. In recent counter-offensives, the Ukrainian army has recaptured several settlements around the city.

Russia's report on Sunday's fighting said its forces repelled five Ukrainian attacks near Bakhmut.

Tra Khanh (Source: Reuters)

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