Now in the Donbas, the Russians are operating according to their usual tactics - they are trying to seize small areas of territory to move forward.
Military expert Oleg Zhdanov predicts that the peak in the offensive operation of the enemy and heavy fighting for the Donbas may occur in March 2023, when Russia will transfer its main forces there and bring up equipment and weapons.
“I would already consider that the Russian Federation gradually launched the offensive like this. This is repeating the same thing that happened in April last year, when we expected the start of the epic battle for Donbas. Now its second stage is starting now. They have already launched an offensive operation, They are trying to put pressure as much as possible, they are constantly trying to increase their offensive efforts and will continue to increase them. It's just that according to forecasts, the peak of these offensive efforts may occur in March, not earlier, when they will transfer and pull up the main forces and especially pull up equipment and weapons," he said in an interview with TSN.
The expert suggested that in March, Putin will be able to appeal 120,000 military men who were supposed to retire in the spring, but "they are unlikely to be allowed to go home." In addition, there are another 120,000 personnel called up in the fall.
"They have been in units for 4-5 months already, and they are considered trained servicemen. They will be forced to sign a contract and be driven here to increase their efforts. Such a wave can be. In addition, what the military enlistment offices will give - it will be just a replenishment of losses or some rear units. This is how it might look," predicts Zhdanov.
According to him, Russians now operate in the Donbas according to their usual tactics. The enemy is trying to capture small areas of territory in order to move forward.
"What are they doing now and how can one explain their actions? They don't know how otherwise. They resorted to their tactics, which they have been using since the first day. They are trying to make an environment, the so-called pincers, only on a small scale and in this way "bite off" a piece of territory, trying to move forward. They can't do it differently, and they don't know how to do it differently," he added.
At the same time, the expert noted that now there is a threat of encirclement of Ukrainian troops in Bakhmut, Donetsk region.
"If they succeed in their breakthrough there a little south of Bakhmut, then we will be forced to retreat so as not to be surrounded. And here it does not matter where they go. Further, they will again look for a weak spot in our defense, break through it and try to encircle some small area again. And so little by little, with such semi-environments, they will force us to withdraw. This is such a tactic of the Russian Federation," Zhdanov stressed.
