Can't resume attack on Kiev, Russians are now focusing on Donbas: Ukraine

Ukrainian Armed Forces have said that Russian troops cannot resume the attack on Kiev in the near future due to their losses, and instead they are focusing on the separatist Donbas region.

The military said Russian forces did not conduct active offensive operations in the Polissya region.

"The aggressors' main efforts were focused on maintaining the previously occupied borders and carrying out preparatory measures for a possible attack on Kiev," Ukrayinska Pravda reported citing the Armed Forces as saying.

The low moral and psychological condition of private soldiers and sergeants of the occupying forces, as well as the lack of experienced commanders of tactical units after the losses inflicted by Ukrainian defenders, rule out resuming offensive operations in the near future, a briefing said.

Russian have concentrated their main efforts on preparing for the attack on Severodonetsk and the encirclement of Mariupol (Luhansk and Donetsk directions).

They did not carry out offensive operations in Volyn and continued to strengthen the protection of the Ukrainian-Belarusian border by units of Belarusian Armed Forces, the military said.

The probability of provocations by Russian special services is high, it added.

The Armed Forces went on to say that the Russian forces are trying to maintain certain borders, restore the combat capability of units and replenish supplies (Sivershchyna direction).

"The invaders continue to partially blockade the city of Chernihiv and carry out artillery shelling of the city."

--IANS

san/ksk/