[Asia Economy Reporter Gong Byung-sun] Signs continue to emerge that Russia is preparing simultaneous offensives on the eastern front.
On the 4th (local time), the U.S. media outlet The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported that the Russian military has begun reorganizing its forces in eastern Ukraine and is preparing counterattacks on at least five fronts.
Petro Andryushchenko, advisor to the exiled mayor of Mariupol, stated via Telegram that "the Russian military has deployed an additional 10,000 to 15,000 troops to Mariupol and other areas," adding that "they are actively reinforcing reserve forces to sustain the offensive." Through the reserve mobilization order issued in September, Russia aims to break through the eastern and southern fronts.
Advisor Andryushchenko predicted that the next targets of the Russian forces stationed in Mariupol will be Bakhmut in Donetsk Province and Zaporizhzhia in Zaporizhzhia Province. Bakhmut has long been a target of Russia. It is geographically advantageous for cutting off Russian supply lines as it is near the only railway connecting the Crimean Peninsula and the Donbas region, where the eastern front of Donetsk and the southern front of Zaporizhzhia intersect. Currently, about 500 residents, including three children, remain in Bakhmut.
WSJ reported that in Bakhmut, considered a fierce frontline battleground, Russian forces are tightening the encirclement from three directions. Although the Ukrainian military claims to have repelled the Bakhmut offensive multiple times, attacks continue, with Russian forces shelling all vehicles on Bakhmut’s roads. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated on the 3rd that the situation in eastern Ukraine is quite difficult.
Meanwhile, in southern Ukraine, the city of Odesa experienced a blackout after major power plants were damaged by Russian attacks. Currently, one-third of the power has been restored.
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