Umm Muhammed Umar

Euronews reports that Russian forces have begun a new offensive in the east of Ukraine. The fresh offensive follows Russia’s retreat from other parts of the country. The Ukrainian military says “a new phase of war” has begun, with Russia attempting to break through our defences along nearly the entire frontline in the Donetsk, Luhansk and Kharkiv regions.”

Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, announced in a video address that the Russian offensive on eastern Ukraine had begun on Monday night,

According to Euronews, multiple missiles struck the western Ukrainian city of Lviv on Monday. The city’s governor said that seven people had been killed in the attack, and eleven wounded. Meanwhile, Ukraine’s Foreign Minister, Dmytro Kuleba, said that Mariupol has been effectively wiped off the map.

The war was expected to last several months. However, some Russian units were reportedly refusing to fight, or were fighting in a “piecemeal fashion.” Critics of the war claim that Russian President Vladimir Putin, while angered by defeats, was still determined to claim some sort of victory in spite of the cost in lives.