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While Russian forces appear to be preparing a new offensive in Ukraine, Western officials are skeptical that Moscow has amassed the manpower and resources to make significant gains.
On Thursday, US Under Secretary for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland suggested the offensive wasn’t a cause for worry. “You see the war grinding in the east, in Bakhmut,” she said. “Russia has declared that it is launching a new offensive. Well, if this is it, it is very pathetic, I would say.”
She said Ukraine is planning its own counteroffensive “for later on.”
If you’re just now catching up, here’s what you should know:
Russian attacks. Russian strikes around Bakhmut left three men and two women dead Thursday, according to a regional official, and nine other civilians also sustained various wounds from shrapnel. Missiles also struck critical infrastructure in the Lviv and Kirovohrad regions, Ukrainian officials said. European Commission spokesperson Peter Stano denounced Russian drone and missile attacks in Ukraine, saying that they “constitute war crimes” and “are unacceptable.”
Prisoner exchange. One hundred soldiers and one civilian were returned to Ukraine in exchange for 101 captured Russian service members, officials from both countries said Thursday.
Support for Ukraine. Britain and Poland are “entirely aligned in their steadfast support” for Kyiv and agree that aid should be “accelerated in the coming weeks,” the United Kingdom said in a statement Thursday. After two days of meetings with NATO officials and members in Brussels, Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov expressed optimism about the results. Discussions had included practical aspects of a “tank coalition” being put together. Additionally, spare parts for the first foreign self-propelled artillery are already being ordered, he said.
Zelensky interview: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky would not agree to give up any Ukrainian territory in a potential future peace deal with Russia, he said in an interview with BBC News, warning it could lead Russia to “keep coming back.”
Belarus’ stance. At a rare news conference Thursday, Belarusian strongman leader Alexander Lukashenko insisted he will not send troops to Ukraine unless Belarus is attacked, but also defiantly maintained that Russia is a staunch ally of his country. Lukashenko is set to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday.
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