{"id":234638,"date":"2023-02-14T10:27:20","date_gmt":"2023-02-14T08:27:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/uacrisis.org\/?p=234638"},"modified":"2023-02-14T10:27:24","modified_gmt":"2023-02-14T08:27:24","slug":"day-355","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/uacrisis.org\/en\/day-355","title":{"rendered":"Day 355: renewed Russian offensive underway, Russia planning coup in Moldova"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

NATO seeing start of new Russian offensive in Ukraine<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

NATO Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg, says \u201cthe reality is that we are seeing the start already\u201d of a new Russian offensive in Ukraine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Russian President Vladimir Putin is sending \u201cthousands and thousands more troops\u201d, accepting \u201ca very high rate of casualties\u201d and taking \u201cbig losses\u201d but putting pressure on the Ukrainians, he told reporters in Brussels on Monday, February 13. Stoltenberg said there was \u201cno sign\u201d Russian President Vladimir Putin was preparing for peace. \u201cWhat we see is President Putin and Russia still wanting to control Ukraine,\u201d Stoltenberg said. The faster Kyiv can be supplied with weapons, ammunition and spare parts, fuel, the more lives can be saved, he said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

On February 9, advisor to the head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, Mykhailo Podolyak said that Russia had already launched another major offensive. The Russians are having \u201cbig problems\u201d with a \u201cbig offensive,\u201d Secretary of Ukraine\u2019s National Security and Defense Council Oleksiy Danilov said. The Ukrainian troops are repulsing the offensive very strongly, he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Russian forces are on the offensive on five axes \u2014 Kupyansk, Lyman, Bakhmut, Avdiyivka, and Novopavlivka, the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces said in a morning report on February 13. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Russia planning coup in Moldova, President Sandu says<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Moldova\u2019s President Maia Sandu accused Russia Monday of plotting to overthrow the country\u2019s government.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201c[Russia\u2019s] plan for the next period involves actions with the involvement of diversionists with military training, camouflaged in civilian clothes, who will undertake violent actions, attack some state buildings, and even take hostages,\u201d Sandu told reporters at a briefing. The Kremlin\u2019s plan was to stage \u201copposition protests\u201d to change the legitimate government to an illegal one controlled by Russia, she added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reports that Moldova received from Ukraine \u201cindicate the locations and logistical aspects of organizing this subversive activity,\u201d Sandu said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe plan also envisages the use of foreigners for violent actions. Information [obtained by intelligence services] contained instructions on rules of entry to Moldova for citizens from Russia, Belarus, Serbia, and Montenegro,\u201d the Moldovan President said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Moldova\u2019s security services are working to anticipate the provocations and maintain control of the situation, Sandu reassured. On February 9, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi said Ukraine had intercepted plans by Russian secret services to destroy Moldova.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ukrainian troops eliminate Russia\u2019s elite naval brigade near Vuhledar<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The Ukrainian Armed Forces eliminated an entire brigade of the elite 155th naval infantry near Vuhledar. Russian forces of the Vladivostok-based unit were losing 150-300 marines a day, an article by Politico reads. A large number of enemy forces, including the command staff, were destroyed near Vuhledar and Maryinka in Donetsk region, Politico said.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe 155th brigade already had to be restaffed three times. The first time after Irpin and Bucha; the second time they were defeated near Donetsk \u2014 they recovered again. And now almost the entire brigade has already been destroyed near Vuhledar,\u201d Oleksiy Dmytrashkivskyi, head of the joint press center of Ukraine\u2019s defense forces on the Tavriyskyi axis told Politico.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIn addition, over the past week, the enemy lost about 130 units of equipment, including 36 units of tanks,\u201d he said. Russian forces were losing 150-300 marines a day near Vuhledar, Dmytrashkivskyi added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In November 2022, Russia\u2019s 155th naval infantry brigade took heavy losses near Pavlivka, in Donetsk region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ukraine in Flames, latest episodes<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Ukraine-EU summit: public and backstage dimensions. Ukraine in Flames #339 <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The recent Ukraine-EU summit in Kyiv has brought many positive signals for Ukraine despite the fact that Kyiv\u2019s call for a fast-track path to EU membership has not been granted as many had expected. However, European institutions have praised Ukraine\u2019s progress toward achieving the criteria to join the EU and promised more help and support for Ukraine and pledged a tenth round of sanctions against Russia to coincide with the first anniversary of Russia’s full-scale war. It also announced a doubling of the number of Ukrainian troops to be trained by the EU to 30,000 in 2023 and promised \u20ac25 million for demining areas recaptured by Ukraine. Watch Ukraine in flames #339 to learn more about Ukraine-EU summit from experts at the UCMC discussion, who believe that membership in the European family is a realistic goal for Ukraine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Guests:<\/p>\n\n\n\n