London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, May 31, 2025

Putin’s generals preparing for more Ukrainian ‘breakthroughs’, says UK

Putin’s generals preparing for more Ukrainian ‘breakthroughs’, says UK

Vladimir Putin’s generals are preparing for more Ukrainian “breakthroughs” as the Russian invasion flounders, British defence chiefs said on Thursday.
Vladimir Putin’s generals are preparing for more Ukrainian “breakthroughs” as the Russian invasion flounders, British defence chiefs said on Thursday.

Following the withdrawal of Russian forces from west of the Dnipro River, Putin’s army is prioritising “refitting, reorganisation and the preparation of defences”, the Ministry of Defence believe.

After setbacks on the battlefield, including last week’s retreat from Kherson, the Kremlin hit several Ukraine with a barrage of attacks on its power grid overnight, leaving an estimated 10 million people without power.

The latest assaults mark the sixth mass attack since early October, which are believed to be aimed at destroying Ukrainian energy supplies.

The Russian's have dug new trench systems near the border of Crimea, as well as in key locations between Donetsk and Luhansk Oblasts, up to 60km behind the current front line.

In its morning briefing, the MoD said the locations showed “Russian planners are making preparations in case of further major Ukrainian breakthroughs”.

It added: “It is likely that Russia will attempt to eventually redeployed some of the forces recovered from Kherson to reinforce and expand its offensive operations near the town of Bakhmut in Donetsk Oblast.”

New Russian strikes hit cities across Ukraine on Thursday, crippling energy infrastructure and plunging millions of people into darkness as freezing winter temperatures set in.

Repeated barrages have disrupted electricity and water supplies across the country.

The Kremlin blamed Kyiv’s refusal to negotiate for the missile strikes.

The latest attack coincides with the fall of Ukraine’s first snow of the winter.

Officials in Kyiv have warned of “difficult” days ahead as temperatures drop.

“Currently, more than 10 million Ukrainians are without electricity,” President Volodymyr Zelensky said.

He added that the regions of Odessa, Vinnytsia, Sumy and Kyiv were most affected.

Lviv mayor Andruy Sadovy said his city was managing to fix energy supplies after the assault.

He said that as of 8am “power supply has been restored to almost the entire city and that water supply and heating were restored. The water is hot and cold.”

It comes as the Swedish prosecutor investigating damage to the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines confirmed that the incident was sabotage.

Swedish and Danish authorities are investigating four holes in the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines which link Russia and Germany.

At the end of September large-scale ruptures in the pipelines caused a gas leak that was visible from the sea's surface.

Traces of explosives have now been found at the site in the Baltic Sea, prosecutor Mats Ljungqvist confirmed.

In a statement, he added: "Analysis that has now been carried out shows traces of explosives on several of the foreign objects that were found. Advanced analysis work continues in order to be able to draw firmer conclusions about the incident."

No suspects were named in the statement, which adds that “the preliminary investigation is very complex and comprehensive”.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Satirical Sketch Sparks Political Spouse Feud in South Korea
Indonesia Quarry Collapse Leaves Multiple Dead and Missing
South Korean Election Video Pulled Amid Misogyny Outcry
Asian Economies Shift Away from US Dollar Amid Trade Tensions
Netflix Investigates Allegations of On-Set Mistreatment in K-Drama Production
US Defence Chief Reaffirms Strong Ties with Singapore Amid Regional Tensions
Vietnam Faces Strategic Dilemma Over China's Mekong River Projects
Malaysia's First AI Preacher Sparks Debate on Islamic Principles
White House Press Secretary Criticizes Harvard Funding, Advocates for Vocational Training
France to Implement Nationwide Smoking Ban in Outdoor Spaces Frequented by Children
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
Russia's Fossil Fuel Revenues Approach €900 Billion Since Ukraine Invasion
U.S. Justice Department Reduces American Bar Association's Role in Judicial Nominations
U.S. Department of Energy Unveils 'Doudna' Supercomputer to Advance AI Research
U.S. SEC Dismisses Lawsuit Against Binance Amid Regulatory Shift
Alcohol Industry Faces Increased Scrutiny Amid Health Concerns
Italy Faces Population Decline Amid Youth Emigration
U.S. Goods Imports Plunge Nearly 20% Amid Tariff Disruptions
OpenAI Faces Competition from Cheaper AI Rivals
Foreign Tax Provision in U.S. Budget Bill Alarms Investors
Trump Accuses China of Violating Trade Agreement
Gerry Adams Wins Libel Case Against BBC
Russia Accuses Serbia of Supplying Arms to Ukraine
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
Chinese Woman Dies After Being Forced to Visit Bank Despite Critical Illness
President Trump Grants Full Pardons to Reality TV Stars Todd and Julie Chrisley
Texas Enacts App Store Accountability Act Mandating Age Verification
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Vatican Calls for Sustainable Tourism in 2025 Message
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
Trump Threatens 25% Tariff on iPhones Amid Dispute with Apple CEO
Putin's Helicopter Reportedly Targeted by Ukrainian Drones
Liverpool Car Ramming Incident Leaves Multiple Injured
Australia Faces Immigration Debate Following Labor Party Victory
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Founder Warns Against Trusting Regime in Nuclear Talks
Macron Dismisses Viral Video of Wife's Gesture as Playful Banter
Cleveland Clinic Study Questions Effectiveness of Recent Flu Vaccine
Netanyahu Accuses Starmer of Siding with Hamas
Junior Doctors Threaten Strike Over 4% Pay Offer
Labour MPs Urge Chancellor to Tax Wealthy Over Cutting Welfare
Publication of UK Child Poverty Strategy Delayed Until Autumn
France Detains UK Fishing Vessel Amid Post-Brexit Tensions
Calls Grow to Resume Syrian Asylum Claims in UK
Nigel Farage Pledges to Reinstate Winter Fuel Payments
Boris and Carrie Johnson Welcome Daughter Poppy
×