Russian offensive in eastern Ukraine: Zelenskyy

Ukrainian officials said that Russian forces launched a broad offensive spanning more than 300 miles (480 kilometers) to take control of the east of the country on Monday, launching an important new phase of the conflict.

There have been eight years of war between Moscow-backed separatists and Ukrainian forces in the Donbas, Ukraine's mostly Russian-speaking industrial heartland to the east, where two independent republics recognized by Russia have been declared.

“The Russian troops have begun the battle for the Donbas,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced in a video address. He said a “significant part of the entire Russian army is now concentrated on this offensive.”

After its attempt to storm Kyiv failed, the Kremlin has declared that the capture of the Donbas is its main objective. Russian forces began to reinforce and regroup their troops in the east after withdrawing from the capital.

19 April 2022