Russia rules out a truce and strengthens its defense against Kiev’s counteroffensive

Russian and Ukrainian troops are reinforcing their positions with thousands of soldiers in different sectors of the front in the face of a possible counteroffensive in Kiev, while Kremlin this monday threw a pitcher of cold water on nade a a possible truce on the occasion of the Orthodox Easter next sunday. “No one suggested that”said Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov, referring to the possibility, and suggested that Russian President Vladimir Putin has no intention of declaring a temporary ceasefire.

The spokesman emphasized that Russia had already declared a unilateral ceasefire in the past, but that it “ran into the lack of intention of the Kiev regime to abide by it”. Orthodox Christians celebrate Easter this year on April 16, and in his Palm Sunday address, Pope Francis called for a truce on the occasion of that holiday.

Last year, Orthodox Easter was celebrated amid the Russian siege of Mariupol. The unilateral cessation of hostilities took place only on Orthodox Christmas, after 11 months of war, and lasted only 36 hours. Putin ordered the Armed Forces not to attack, but to repulse Ukrainian attacks, which in practice resulted in a false ceasefire.

The American Institute for the Study of War (ISW) noted in its analysis on Monday that “Russia may use the Orthodox Easter on April 16 to delay the Ukrainian counter-offensive by calling for a ceasefire (…)”. Analysts believe that the Kremlin may call for an Easter ceasefire fire because such a pause “would disproportionately benefit Russian troops and allow them to secure their successes in the center of Bakhmut and prepare defenses for a Ukrainian counteroffensive.”

This was stated by the head of the Wagner Group, Yevgenij Prigožin, on Sunday Ukraine has assembled “more than 200,000 troops” for its imminent counter-offensive against Russian forces. Ukrainian army spokesman Oleksiy Dmitrashkivskiy said a day earlier that Russia had concentrated 113 battalion tactical groups in the direction of Zaporozhye, in the southeast, and 206 in Donetsk.

CNN assured this Monday, citing a source close to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, that Ukraine had to modify part of its military plans in view of the counteroffensive it is planning after the leak of classified Pentagon documents, although the strategy was never closed.

The Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine Oleksiy Danilov tweeted that the Ukrainian counter-offensive is taking place every day and that Kiev is not waiting for “magic dates”, but is acting calmly and systematically and consistently destroying the enemy.

The interim leader imposed by Russia in the Donetsk region of Ukraine, in the east of the country, Denis Pushilin, visited Bakhmut this Monday, from where he assured that Russian troops already “control 75 percent of the city with complete security”, but that it is too early to talk about “complete liberation”. of the city.

He explained that fierce fighting is still going on in the western part of the city.

The commander of the Ukrainian ground army, Oleksandr Syrsky, who visited the front in Bakhmut again on Sunday, pointed out that “Ukrainian forces exhausted the Wagners”the main Russian assault force on that battlefield.

Tactics like in Syria

“The enemy is forced to involve special forces and amphibious assault units in the battle for Bakhmut. The Russians are actively using their artillery and aviation, destroying a city they cannot conquer,” he stressed.

Syrsky claimed that Russian forces had switched to using “scorched earth tactics” like those used by Russia in Syria.

“The enemy switched to the so-called Syrian scorched earth tactic: destroying (Ukrainian) buildings and positions with airstrikes and artillery fire,” he said.

He explained that the fighting is fierce on both sides” and that “the situation is difficult, but it is under control”, he assured.

On the other front, Avdíivka, Russia assures that it is progressing “seriously”, according to Pushilin this Monday, who nevertheless admitted that it is “at a great cost” in human lives.

Ukrainian military spokesman Oleksiy Dmytrashkivskyi assured that Russia is losing about two companies in its attempts to capture this city.

“They suffer colossal losses; every day the enemy loses about two companies, but does not give up its efforts,” said the spokesman, who also explained that “positional battles in the area of ​​Mariinka and Avdíivka continue” without major changes.