Zelenskyy says Russia is planning 'big revenge' as threats loom over Vuhledar & Pavlivka

The Ukrainian forces issued multiple air raid alerts across the country on Tuesday in anticipation of the possible fresh Russian air strikes on civilian and energy infrastructure.

According to Radio Free Europe, a total of three large-scale air raid warnings were announced on Tuesday. In the midst of all the chaos, the UK Ministry of defence asserted in one of its intelligence updates that the Russian forces are planning to consolidate assault in two pivotal Ukrainian towns, Pavlika and Vuhledar. The ministry asserted that in the last three days, Russia has developed its “probing attacks around” the Ukrainian towns. The intelligence update came after the Ukrainian President asserted that Russia’s “big revenge” against Ukrainian forces has begun. 

“In the last three days, Russia has likely developed its probing attacks around the towns of Pavlivka and Vuhledar into a more concentrated assault,” the Tuesday intelligence update reads. The statement also asserted that the Russian commanders are aiming to formulate new ways to advance into Ukrainian-held Donetsk Oblast.

However, the British Ministry of Defence made it clear that the Russian forces has does not have sufficient committed troops in the area. “There is a realistic possibility that Russia will continue to make local gains in the sector, however, it is unlikely that Russia has sufficient uncommitted troops in the area to achieve an operationally significant breakthrough,” the Intelligence update reads. 

Latest Defence Intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine - 31 January 2023

Find out more about the UK government's response: https://t.co/LEQzjzWkCH

🇺🇦 #StandWithUkraine 🇺🇦 pic.twitter.com/DpJv5iBb6b

— Ministry of Defence 🇬🇧 (@DefenceHQ)

Zelenskyy on Russia’s big revenge

On Monday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy updated the media about the current intense situation in the country. The President asserted that Russia wants its “big revenge”. “I think Russia really wants its big revenge, I think they have already started it,” the Ukrainian President told media in the Monday press conference.” "I think they won’t be able to bring back a positive result for their own society,” he added.

In the end, the Ukrainian president also assured the media that the Ukrainian forces are working “bit by bit” to counter Russian forces. “As to our army, I think that bit by bit we will stop them, destroy them and prepare our big counter-offensive,” the Ukrainian president exclaimed. While Moscow has repeatedly denied that it is targeting civilians, the Ukrainian bloc claimed that the possible fresh Russian air strikes might attack the civilian infrastructure in the Eastern Ukrainian regions.