British intelligence indicated “limited success” of Russian troops in the axis between Kupiansk and Lyman

MADRID, October 18 (EUROPA PRESS) –

British Intelligence Services on Wednesday indicated a “significant increase” in Russia’s “offensive activity” in the axis between two key cities in Ukraine’s Donetsk province, located in the east of the country, within the framework of attacks “on multiple axes.”

“Over the past two weeks there has been a significant increase in Russian offensive activity in the Kupiansk-Lyman axis,” they said, before noting that “Russian artillery strikes have intensified” and various Russian Army units have carried out attacks “with limited success” in the area .

As such, they have explained that “it is highly likely that this activity is part of an ongoing Russian offensive being conducted in various axis in eastern Ukraine” and they have stated that the objective of Russian forces in this axis “is” possibly to advance west towards the River Oskil to create a buffer zone around Lugansk province.”

“The Russian Ground Forces (RGF) have increased their combat capabilities in the Kupiansk-Lyman direction in recent months. However, Ukrainian forces maintain a significant defensive presence in this axis and it is highly unlikely that the RGF will achieve any important operational progress” , it was concluded, according to a statement published by the British Ministry of Defense via its account on the social network X, previously known as Twitter.

The British Intelligence Service indicated on Tuesday that it was “highly likely” that the Russian Army had begun a “coordinated attack in multiple directions” in eastern Ukraine, with the capture of Avdiivka as the main objective of this military operation, within the framework of the invasion carried out in February 2022 on the orders of the president Russia, Vladimir Putin.