Russia mobilizes 16,000 troops for renewed eastern Ukraine offensive within days, Ukrainian commander says
Ukrainian official warns of a rapid push toward Donbas as Kyiv seeks Western artillery and munitions; Moscow faces losses and limited capacity for large-scale offensives, officials say.
Russian forces are surging about 16,000 troops for a renewed offensive in eastern Ukraine that could begin in as little as 10 days, according to a Ukrainian military commander in an exclusive interview with The New York Post.
Maj. Oleh Shyriaiev, commander of Ukraine’s 225th Separate Assault Regiment, said Moscow is trying to break through defense lines in the Pokrovsk direction and appears to be gathering reserves, with the timetable suggesting a counteroffensive may start within days. Ukraine has fought on four main axes this year: Sumy in the north, Pokrovsk in the east, and Novopavlivka and Zaporizhzhia in the southeast.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that, as of Wednesday, half of those offensives had been defeated, including the Sumy operation, which he said suffered heavy losses and had to redeploy. He cautioned that Moscow now had limited capacity for large-scale offensives, even as Shyriaiev maintained that a renewed push could occur.
Shyriaiev noted recent Ukrainian gains, including the liberation of a village northeast of Pokrovsk named Pankivka, which has created a new threat to the enemy salient. He said the move improves Ukraine’s position and could complicate any Russian attempt to extend the salient, especially if Kyiv receives timely external support such as artillery and munitions.
Pokrovsk sits in the unoccupied Donetsk Oblast and has become a focal point for Moscow’s effort to seize additional territory. The town’s logistics role explains why a renewed Russian push could influence the Donbas front. Shyriaiev and other Ukrainian officials have linked the fate of this sector to the broader war effort, noting that artillery from foreign allies remains a key element in offsetting manpower disparities.
Shyriaiev pressed for more artillery and munitions from Western partners to counter any advance and said drones alone cannot address the needs of a modern conflict, where multiple calibers and long-range fires shape engagements.
Reuters reported that the Pentagon has approved at least two arms packages for Ukraine funded by NATO partners, though details of the contents and timing were not disclosed, and a Pentagon spokesman did not respond to requests for comment. Ukraine relies on Western howitzers and munitions to complement its own defense industry, and Kyiv has urged European nations to purchase and donate more traditional artillery, which it says is essential for engaging larger formations and countering a potential Russian push.
Artillery allows Ukraine to strike at varying ranges and concentrations, a capability the Ukrainian military says cannot be replaced by drones alone. If Kyiv receives timely and adequate artillery and munitions from partners, it says it can respond quickly to any Russian maneuvers.
Pokrovsk remains a focal point in the Donetsk region, where Putin has stressed the importance of seizing Donetsk territory, even as Kyiv continues to push back, supported by Western aid and the resilience of Ukrainian forces. The trajectory of fighting in the coming weeks will depend in part on external support and Moscow’s willingness to sustain a renewed offensive amid battlefield losses, but Kyiv says it is ready to meet a potential challenge with capable artillery, logistics and reserves.