Russian forces gather for new offensive in eastern Ukraine, satellite images suggest

Russian troops continue to redeploy and move into eastern Ukraine, likely in preparation for a renewed offensive in the Donbas region, satellite pictures suggest.

Dozens of armoured vehicles as well as troops can be seen in fields and farms near the Russian towns of Dubrovka, Biriuch and Leonovka – around five miles inside Russia.

Meanwhile, across the border in eastern Ukraine, several convoys of military equipment were seen traveling along the T2104 highway near the village of Vilkhuvatka.

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The revelations from the latest satellite images from Maxar Technologies come after President Vladimir Putin vowed that his country’s offensive in Ukraine will continue until its goals are fulfilled, insisting that everything is going to plan.

Fierce Ukrainian opposition has led to significant Russian losses, with US defence sources now estimating that “just above 80 percent” of Kremlin combat power assembled before the invasion remains available.

In southern Ukraine, aerial images appear to show signs of ongoing artillery shelling and recent attacks as the city of Mariupol continues to be hammered by Russian shelling.

Smoke and fire can be seen coming from a number of buildings throughout the western and eastern sections of the besieged port city, as well as in and near the Azovstal iron and steel works factory – the site of ongoing battles between Russian and Ukrainian forces.

Meanwhile, what appear to be two Russian military resupply and maintenance bases have been established in southern Ukraine and in Crimea – likely being used to help reinforce and resupply operations in and near Mariupol, Kherson and Mykolaiv.

Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, a senior US defence official said the Pentagon had tracked more than 1,540 Russian missile launches on Ukraine but that these were now being focused on a smaller area.

Key developments:

• Mariupol’s mayor Vadym Boychenko said the city’s death toll could surpass 20,000, adding that Russian forces have brought mobile cremation equipment to dispose of corpses
• The US is preparing a new support package for Ukraine that could total $750m, a defence official has said. This week, delivery is due to be completed on the $800m package approved a month ago
• More than 10 million Ukrainians have now fled their homes, including nearly two-thirds of the country’s children
• At least 720 people have been killed in Bucha and other Kyiv suburbs and more than 200 are considered missing, the Interior Ministry said

They added: “They have now collapsed their efforts to the east and to the south. And they’re operating in a much more confined geographic area.

“But we don’t know how this fight’s going to unfold. And we can’t perfectly predict that the Russians won’t step up their number of air strikes if they feel they need to.”

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