Putin is preparing ‘imminent’ new wave of forces to bolster Russia’s invasion of Ukraine

At least two people have been killed in a Russian rocket strike which razed a residential building in the eastern Ukrainian city of Kramatorsk, authorities say.

Regional governor Pavlo Kyrylenko sent a memo on Telegram describing the catastrophe, which occurred just hours ago.

‘At least two dead and seven wounded – these are the consequences of the shelling of Kramatorsk,’ he added, warning more people could be found under the rubble.

Witnesses on the ground say ‘people’s cries for help can be heard from under the rubble’. 

‘Rescuers, law enforcement officers and communal services are working at the scene,’ Kyrylenko said.

It comes amid mounting concerns Vladimir Putin is preparing for an ‘imminent’ new strike on Ukraine by bolstering his forces as the first anniversary of Moscow’s invasion approaches.

At least two people have been killed in a Russian rocket strike which struck a residential building in the eastern Ukrainian city of Kramatorsk, authorities say

‘Two hours ago, the Russian occupiers hit a residential building in the centre of the city with a rocket,’ regional governor Pavlo Kyrylenko said on Telegram

Pictured: The residential building razed to the ground

Kyiv is standing firm, with one senior soldier threatening to send Kremlin troops ‘home in black bags’. 

On the battlefront, the Kremlin’s forces have reportedly started expelling residents in Russian-held territory as it musters its military might in the Luhansk region of Ukraine, officials said Wednesday.

‘There is an active transfer of (Russian troops) to the region and they are definitely preparing for something on the eastern front in February,’ Luhansk Gov. Serhiy Haidai said.

The Institute for the Study of War said late Tuesday that ‘an imminent Russian offensive in the coming months is the most likely course of action’.

A new offensive might coincide with the invasion anniversary on February 24. And Ukraine’s top general, Valery Zaluzhny, warned Russia is preparing 200,000 fresh troops for the action.

Oleksiy Danilov, Secretary of the National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine, said Putin could be planning another simultaneous attack on the country from the north, south and east and warned the bloodiest battles are ‘yet to come’.

He said they will happen within the next few months, in what will be a ‘defining’ moment of the war. 

As the first anniversary of Moscow’s invasion approaches, there are mounting concerns Putin is planning to launch a new offensive

Vladimir Putin is preparing for an ‘imminent’ new strike on Ukraine by bolstering his forces – but Kyiv is standing firm, with one senior soldier threatening to send Kremlin troops ‘home in body bags’

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But Kyiv is still holding firm, bolstered by the arrival of foreign equipment. A soldier told The Sun Kremlin troops would be sent home in ‘black bags’ or become ‘fertiliser’ in Ukraine.

Lieutenant General Yurii Sodol said: ‘I will separately address the Russian military: before it’s too late, run, return to your ‘Maruskas’ [Russian women] or surrender, otherwise it’s the fate of a fertiliser on someone else’s land; a black bag or disability awaits you, this is your ‘happy’ future.

‘Unlike you, we know what we are fighting for, we are united, we are one.’ 

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported Wednesday that Russia was also concentrating its efforts in neighboring Donetsk province, especially in its bid to capture the key city of Bakhmut.

Donetsk and Luhansk provinces make up the Donbas, an industrial region bordering Russia that President Vladimir Putin identified as a goal for takeover from the war’s outset and where Moscow-backed separatists have fought Ukrainian forces since 2014.

Russian shelling of Bakhmut, from which most residents have fled while others spend much of their time in cellars, killed at least five civilians and wounded 10 on Tuesday, Ukraine’s presidential office said Wednesday.

The regional governor of Donetsk, Pavlo Kyrylenko, posted images of the aftermath of the shelling, showing huge black holes in residential buildings in the embattled city. He said Russia is ‘actively deploying new military personnel to the region.’

Ukrainian servicemen adjust a 60mm mortar tube near the frontline in the Donetsk region on Tuesday

Donetsk was one of four provinces that Russia illegally annexed in the fall, but controls only about half of it. To take the remaining half, Russian forces have no choice but to go through Bakhmut, the only approach to bigger Ukrainian-held cities.

Russian forces have been trying for months to capture Bakhmut. Moscow-installed authorities in Donetsk claimed Russian troops are ‘closing the ring’ around the city.

Ukraine is keen to secure more Western military aid to fend off the much larger Russian forces. It has already won pledges of tanks and now wants more.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov described media reports about new U.S. military assistance to Ukraine expected to be announced soon as ‘a direct path to inciting tensions and taking the escalation to a new level.’

‘It will require additional efforts on our part, but it won’t change the course of events,’ he said in a conference call with reporters.

The Western allies are trying to broaden their coalition in support of Ukraine. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said he sought stronger cooperation and more ‘friends’ for the alliance in the Indo-Pacific region.

Danilov told Sky News: ‘Russia is preparing for maximum escalation. It is gathering everything possible, doing drills and training.

‘When it comes to an offensive from different directions, as for now, I can say that we are not excluding any scenario in the next two to three weeks.’

His comments came after Ukraine’s top general, Valery Zaluzhny, told the Economist last month that Russia was preparing 200,000 fresh troops for a major offensive that could come from the east, south or even from Belarus in the spring.

Ukrainian serviceman Myroslav, 23, walks in a trench near a frontline position in the Donetsk region on Tuesday