Analysts believe Russia taking `operational pause'
KYIV, UKRAINE >> Foreign analysts say Russia may be temporarily easing its offensive in eastern Ukraine as the Russian military attempts to reassemble its forces for what it hopes could prove decisive new assault on its neighbor.
Russian President Vladimir Putin warned menacingly on Thursday that his forces “haven't even started” to fight.
Russian forces made no claimed or assessed territorial gains in Ukraine on Wednesday “for the first time in 133 days of war,” according to the Institute for the Study of War. The Washingtonbased think tank suggested Moscow may be taking an “operational pause,” but said that does not entail “the complete cessation of active hostilities.”
“Russian forces will likely confine themselves to relatively small-scale offensive actions as they attempt to set conditions for more significant offensive operations” and rebuild the necessary combat power, the institute said.
Russia's Defense Ministry seemed to confirm that assessment, saying in a statement Thursday that Russian soldiers had been given time to rest.
“The units that performed combat missions ... are taking measures to recover their combat capabilities. The servicemen are given the opportunity to rest, receive letters and parcels from home,” read the statement, quoted by Russian state news agency Tass.
Putin warned Kyiv it should quickly accept Moscow's terms to end the fighting or brace for the worst.
“Everybody should know that largely speaking, we haven't even yet started anything in earnest,” he said in a menacing note.
Shelling continued in Ukraine's east, with the mayor of one Donetsk region city saying it was hit by the most powerful strike since the war began.
Kramatorsk Mayor Oleksandr Gorchenko said a Russian missile hit in the vicinity of the local government buildings shortly after noon. The city has been the center of the Donetsk regional government since 2014, when the city of Donetsk was taken over by Kremlinbacked separatists.
Earlier on Thursday, regional officials said at least one person was killed and six more were injured in the strike.