British intelligence sources confirm Russian forces are massing around a strategic Donbas city, signalling an imminent offensive. Uncovered satellite imagery shows armoured columns and artillery batteries moving into forward positions 10 kilometres from the city limits. The Kremlin’s playbook is familiar: isolate the defenders, pave the way with artillery, then send in infantry.
UK Defence Intelligence, known for its sober assessments, has warned allies that an assault could begin within 72 hours. The city itself has been under heavy shelling for weeks, with water and power supplies repeatedly cut. Locals are being urged to evacuate, but escape routes are narrowing.
A source on the ground described the situation as a ‘tightening noose’. Western officials are struggling to keep munitions flowing to Ukrainian units, who are burning through artillery shells at a staggering rate. It’s a brutal calculus: if reinforcements don’t arrive, the city could be encircled.
Russian forces have suffered heavy losses in the past, but their commanders seem undeterred. This isn’t about quick victory. It’s about attrition.
And the timer is ticking.
