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Ukraine's defence minister has said putin is preparing a major new offensive, he warned that it could begin as soon as 24 February.

Oleksii Reznikov said Moscow had amassed thousands of troops and could "try to mark the anniversary of the initial invasion to last year 24/02/2022 invasion on Ukraine. The attack would also mark Russia's Defender of the Fatherland Day on 23 February, which celebrates the army.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-64492938

Last month, Russian mercenaries and regular putin's soldiers seized the town of Soledar. While Russian-appointed official, Yan Gagin, said Bakhmut was "operationally surrounded". US-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW) recently said that Moscow could seek to "undertake a decisive action" and launch a big offensive.

Mr Reznikov said Ukraine's commanders would seek to "stabilise the front and prepare for a counter-offensive" ahead of the rumoured of the Russian advance. "I have faith 2023 can be the year of military victory," he said, adding that Ukraine's forces "cannot lose the initiative" they have achieved in recent months.

The defence minister was in France to strike a deal, to add MG-200 air defence radars, which would "significantly increase capacity of the armed forces to detect air targets, including winged and ballistic missiles, and drones of various types". He comments come as Ukrainian intelligence alleges that President Putin has ordered his forces to seize the Donbas before the end of spring.

But on Monday, Nato Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg warned that there were no indications Putin had limited his military goals to seizing eastern regions. They are actively acquiring weapons & ammunition, ramping up their own production, also Putin is acquiring more weapons from other authoritarian states like Iran and North Korea," Mr Stoltenberg said.

"And most of all, we have seen no sign that Putin has changed his goal of this invasion - that is to control a neighbour, to control Ukraine. So as long as this is the case, we need to be prepared for the long haul."

Meanwhile, Ukraine's Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Malyar said intense fighting was continuing in the Donbas region, where Russian forces and Wagner mercenaries have been trying to take town of Bakhmut.
She added Moscow's troops were also try to seize Lyman - the Russian logistics hub that Ukrainian troops retook in October 2022.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-64492938