Russia appoints new commander and reinforces troops in Ukraine war... "Large-scale attack expected in Donbas"

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] Russia has appointed a supreme commander to lead its invasion of Ukraine and is reportedly mobilizing large-scale troop reinforcements. This move is interpreted as an effort to secure a decisive victory in the Donbas region by concentrating forces before the Victory Day on the 9th of next month, aiming to declare victory in the Ukraine invasion.

On the 10th (local time), according to CNN, Maxar Technologies, a U.S. private satellite company, released satellite images showing a convoy of Russian military vehicles moving toward the Kharkiv direction in eastern Ukraine. In the satellite images, Russian armored vehicles and trucks carrying weapons formed a convoy nearly 13 km long. It is presumed to be a transport unit convoy to strengthen ground offensives in the Donbas and eastern regions. CNN also reported that the Russian military recently recruited more than 60,000 reservists.

Earlier, the day before, the Russian government was reported to be reorganizing its forces, including appointing a new field commander to oversee the situation on the Ukrainian front. According to the Associated Press, the newly appointed Russian field commander is Aleksandr Dvornikov, commander of the Southern Military District, who was appointed in 2015 as the commander of the dispatched forces to assist the Assad regime during the unfavorable conditions of the Syrian civil war. Commander Dvornikov conducted indiscriminate airstrikes using air power on Aleppo, which was occupied by Syrian rebels at the time, causing massive civilian casualties and occupying the city, drawing international condemnation.

Jake Sullivan, U.S. National Security Advisor at the White House, also appeared on CNN that day and stated, "Russia’s new commander will be someone who commits further crimes and atrocities against Ukrainian civilians." He explained, "This general has a history of barbaric acts against civilians throughout Syria and is expected to commit more such acts."

Experts predict that since the Russian military must achieve results in the Donbas region by May 9, Russia’s World War II Victory Day, it will launch indiscriminate offensives. Former CIA Director David Petraeus warned in an interview with CNN, "The Russian military is preparing breakthrough operations starting in the Donbas region, and as a result, Ukrainians may face large-scale battles."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.