President Zelensky Says Ukraine Prepares For Russian Army Attacks In Eastern Region

Presiden Ukraina Volodymyr Zelensky. (Wikimedia Commons/President Of Ukraine)

JAKARTA - Ukrainian troops are preparing for a new Russian offensive in the east of the country, as Moscow builds up its forces there after suffering a setback near the capital Kyiv, President Volodymyr Zelensky said Thursday.

Russia's invasion of its neighbour, now in its fifth week, has driven about a quarter of Ukrainians from their homes, bringing Russian-Western tensions to their worst point since the Cold War.

Russia says its troops are regrouping to focus on the complete 'liberation' of the breakaway eastern Donbas region.

In a video address in the early hours of the morning, President Zelensky referred to the movement of Russian troops away from Kyiv and Chernihiv, saying it was not a withdrawal, but "a consequence of the resistance of our fighters," citing Reuters March 31.

President Zelensky added that Ukraine saw "an increase in Russian troops for a new attack on the Donbas and we are preparing for it."

The Donbas Region includes two self-proclaimed "people's republics," which Russia says helped to free itself from Ukrainian control. The two are the Donetsk People's Republic and the Lugansk People's Republic.

Meanwhile, the leader of the Donetsk People's Republic, Denis Pushilin, said on Wednesday that the offensive operation was intensifying.

Donetsk includes the besieged port city of Mariupol, which has seen some of the heaviest fighting and bombardment of the war, with some 170,000 people trapped with scarce food and water.

"We cooked what we found among the neighbors. A little cabbage, a little potatoes, we found tomato paste, beets," said former steelworker Viktor from Mariupol.

They cook on simple barbecues and sleep in their basement, which he calls their 'oasis of peace'.

Russian forces alone have captured half of the strategic port city, an adviser to President Zelensky said Wednesday. The Russian Defense Ministry said it was ready to observe a ceasefire in Mariupol on Thursday, Russian news agencies reported.

Kyiv accuses Russia of not fully honoring such commitments before. Moscow denies targeting civilians.

For information, the fate of Donbas was discussed at peace talks on Tuesday in Istanbul, Turkey. A senior Ukrainian negotiator said talks would resume online on Friday.

During the talks, the fate of the Donbas region, which Russia demands that Ukraine be handed over to the separatists, will be set aside for discussion by Ukrainian and Russian leaders. Any peace deal would require a referendum in Ukraine.

Ukraine has sought a ceasefire without compromising territory or sovereignty, although it has proposed adopting neutral status in exchange for security guarantees.

Russia, meanwhile, opposes Ukraine joining the US-led NATO military alliance, citing such potential membership as a reason for the invasion.