Armored infantry ships go to the front line at the front south of Bakhmut, Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine on May 17, 2023.
Vincenzo Circosta | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images
Russia has shifted the focus of its missile strikes against Ukraine to try to disrupt preparations for a Ukrainian counterattack, a senior Ukrainian military intelligence official said.
After months of attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure, Russian forces are now increasingly targeting military facilities and supplies, said Vadym Skibitskyi, deputy head of the Defense Ministry’s intelligence directorate.
“Earlier they failed to knock out our energy system, and now they have completely different priorities – to disrupt our plans and preparations for active (military) actions during the spring-summer campaign,” he told the RBK-Ukraine news portal.
He said the Russians hit decision-making centers, supply routes and places where large amounts of ammunition, equipment, fuel or troops were concentrated.
“The enemy began to pay special attention to the areas where our anti-aircraft equipment is located,” Skibitskyi added. He also said that Russian aircraft are now targeting areas on or near the front lines more often than before. Russia, whose airstrikes have also frequently hit residential areas across Ukraine, did not directly comment on Skibitskyi’s remarks.
Ukraine has said it is planning a counteroffensive to try to retake territory occupied by Russian forces, but that recent advances around the eastern city of Bakhmut do not mean the attack has begun.
Soldiers near the front line said this week that Russian forces were pounding supply lines to try to halt the Ukrainian advances.
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