WRAPUP 5-Main new Russian assault in Ukraine unlikely to attain breakthough, UK says

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Biden says ‘no’ when requested about F-16s for Ukraine

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Zelenskiy says Moscow seeks ‘revenge’

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UK says Russia assaults Vuhledar with at the very least a brigade

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Russia’s positive aspects this month greatest since mid-2022

By Dan Peleschuk

KYIV, Jan 31 (Reuters) – A big Russian power has superior tons of of metres in a serious new assault on a Ukrainian-held bastion in southeastern Ukraine this week, although it’s unlikely to power a major breakthrough there, Britain mentioned on Tuesday.

Russian officers claimed the advance had secured a foothold within the coal-mining city of Vuhledar. Kyiv has acknowledged heavy combating there however says it has repelled the push thus far whereas inflicting heavy losses on the attackers.

In an intelligence replace providing uncommon battlefield element, the British ministry mentioned Russia was attacking the city with a power at the very least the dimensions of a brigade, a unit usually comprising a number of thousand troops with a full vary of capabilities.

Up to now, the Russians had possible superior from the south a number of hundred metres past the Kashlahach River, which it mentioned had marked the entrance line for months. The small river flows on the sting of the city of Pavlivka, about two kilometres south of Vuhledar.

“There’s a life like risk that Russia will proceed to make native positive aspects within the sector. Nevertheless, it’s unlikely that Russia has enough uncommitted troops within the space to attain an operationally vital breakthrough.”

It mentioned Russian commanders had been most likely making an attempt to develop a brand new axis of advance, in addition to to divert Ukrainian forces from Bakhmut, a metropolis additional north that has been the primary focus of Russia’s offensive for months.

Reuters couldn’t independently verify the scenario within the space.

Vuhledar lies on the southern-most finish of the japanese entrance in Ukraine, overlooking railway strains that offer Russian forces on the adjoining southern entrance. Ukraine has repelled a number of Russian assaults in town because the begin of the battle eleven months in the past.

The Russian assault there comes after Moscow made vital advances round Bakhmut over the previous two weeks, its greatest positive aspects since Ukraine took again giant chunks of territory within the second half of 2022. Momentum has swung in direction of Russia in latest weeks after entrance strains had been frozen in place since November.

Navy consultants say Moscow is set to make positive aspects in Ukraine within the coming months, earlier than Kyiv receives tons of of newly pledged Western tanks and armoured autos for a counter-attack to recapture occupied territory this 12 months.

Bakhmut, a metropolis which as soon as held 100,000 individuals, appears to be like more and more susceptible after Russia captured the salt-mining city of Soledar to its north round every week in the past. Moscow says it has made substantial additional positive aspects each on the northern and southern outskirts of Bakhmut; Kyiv says town itself is just not but at risk of falling, however the combating there’s onerous.

REVENGE

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy described Russia’s assault within the east as an try to actual “revenge” for its earlier losses.

“And I believe that they will be unable to supply their society with any convincing constructive outcome within the offensive. I’m assured in our military. We’ll cease all of them, little by little, destroy them and put together our massive counteroffensive,” he mentioned on Monday.

Kyiv says the Russian assaults of latest weeks have come at large value, initially largely counting on mercenaries, together with 1000’s of convicts recruited from Russian prisons and despatched into battle in human waves with out correct coaching or gear.

However Russia’s call-up of tons of of 1000’s of reservists late final 12 months means Moscow has now been capable of reconstitute common navy items exhausted or depleted earlier within the battle.

The British defence ministry assertion mentioned the assault on Vuhledar was led by a unit of Russian naval infantry that had tried and didn’t assault the city in November.

F-16: BIDEN SAYS NO

Since profitable the Western pledge for tanks after months of lobbying, Kyiv has pressed on with additional requests for arms, together with requires jet fighters corresponding to U.S. F-16s. Neither facet has been capable of safe management of the skies over Ukraine.

The West has thus far refused to ship weapons that might be used to assault deep inside Russia, a line international locations nonetheless appear unwilling to cross. U.S. President Joe Biden responded with a flat “No” when requested by reporters on the White Home on Monday if Washington would ship F-16s.

Nonetheless, Ukraine has held out hope. Defence Minister Oleksiy Reznikov was due in Paris on Tuesday to satisfy President Emmanuel Macron, who advised reporters in The Hague on Monday that “by definition nothing is excluded” with regards to navy help.

Macron mentioned any such transfer to ship jets would depend upon components together with the necessity to keep away from escalation and assurances that the plane wouldn’t “contact Russian soil”.

Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki additionally didn’t rule out a doable provide of F-16s to neighbouring Ukraine, in response to a query from a reporter earlier than Biden spoke.

Morawiecki mentioned in remarks posted on his web site that any such switch would happen “in full coordination” with NATO international locations. Poland has lengthy pushed for extra aggressive Western navy help for Ukraine.

(Reporting by Reuters bureaus Writing by Peter Graff; Modifying by Frank Jack Daniel)

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