Russia is set to mobilize close to half a million troops amid plans for a fresh new offensive on the first anniversary of the Ukraine invasion. The Russian defense minister, Sergei Lavrov, has sent out grim forebodings of a Russian escalation, saying that the superpower planned to gain the world’s attention on that day, which falls on February 24.
February 24 marks 365 days from the time when Russian troops rolled across the border in Ukraine. But while Kremlin hoped that it would be an immediate overthrow of Ukraine’s government, it has slowly dragged itself into a conflict of attrition that has been painful for both nations. Russian forces have suffered setbacks in parts of the east of Ukraine.
Despite successive setbacks, the Russian President is getting ready to launch a major offensive aimed at swinging the initiative in favor of Russia. Lavrov has warned that Russia plans to dominate measures arranged by Ukraine’s NATO backers, especially the US.
Russian Escalation Linked To Supply Of Modern Western Weapons To Ukraine
Lavrov has ominously warned that Russia was working on events that would completely overshadow the events that Ukraine’s western backers have planned for the February 24 anniversary.
Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission chief has said that Russian escalation through a massive mobilization of troops will lead to a flare in the war with Ukraine and its western backers. The Ukraine defense minister Oleksiy Reznikov said that the Russian escalation could be on two fronts. He said that much of it would be in the eastern part of Ukraine and also to the north.
To repel the Russian escalation, Reznikov has called upon western nations for more arms. In a potentially dangerous intensification on the front, the US and Germany have agreed to send 100 advanced battle tanks. This could lead to another round of Russian escalation of the situation. The Americans will be sending a $2Bn military aid package, though the UK and the US have for now rebuffed Kyiv’s demand for fighter jets.
