Russia is pulling forces to the Donbass, the number of which is more than five Ukrainian
CNN also reports about a convoy of Russian equipment carrying marines from Matveev Kurgan in the Rostov region towards the Donbass.
According to the Institute for the History of War (ISW), Russian troops stationed in the Izyum area, inhabit move further south to capture Slavyansk. From there they can move to the southeast to encircle the Ukrainian troops. In addition, in the event of the fall of Mariupol, about 6,000 Russian soldiers will be released, Russia can send to the north to encircle another large grouping of Ukrainian troops.
General Sir Richard Barrons, the former British military commander in chief, believes that Russia is deploying more ground troops to maintain the necessary balance of power. According to him, we are talking about indicators of 5 to 1 or even 7 to 1.
Ukrainian military expert Oleg Zhdanov, in a conversation with The Insider, suggested that Russia would focus on the Donbass in order to destroy the defenses and face the consequences for the Dnieper. After that, Russian troops will develop in Kyiv (along the Dnieper) and Kharkov (from the south):
“The impact cannot be underestimated. We have a 50/50 chance of holding out. I hope we will, because Russia does not have enough hard work. We organize defensive battles, but with the advent of sensitive problems. Russia simply goes on a frontal attack, we repulse it, they regroup, gather in mass and go again, without even removing the bodies of their soldiers, go over the corpses. They do not feel sorry for people and do not consider losses. <…> Everything that has happened so far is only the first attack, which was expected in the Russian “maybe”, and now the real war begins.