Russia will soon intensify strikes and intensify offensive operations - ISW

This is stated in a report by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), Ukrinform reports.

The ISW analyzed the statements of Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu during a speech at the Defense Ministry board on April 23, who emphasized Russia's offensive operations near Chasovyi Yar, Avdiivka and Donetsk and announced Russia's intention to intensify strikes on Ukrainian logistics.

"Russian forces are likely to intensify their current offensive operations in the coming weeks to exploit Ukraine's material constraints ahead of the expected arrival of U.S. security assistance," the report said.

According to the analysts, Shoigu's focus on offensive operations near Chasovyi Yar, west of Avdiivka, and west and southwest of Donetsk indicates that Russian forces are likely to intensify their offensive in these areas, where Russian forces favor broader offensive operations.

The ISW also noted that Russian troops launched heavy attacks on Ukrainian transport infrastructure in the Dnipropetrovsk region on April 19 and may intend to repeat and expand these strikes in the coming weeks to cut off Ukrainian land lines of communication.

Analysts believe that the Russian military command may hope that the coordinated interdiction efforts will limit Ukraine's ability to sufficiently distribute manpower and logistics to critical areas of the front and "delay the improved capabilities that the arrival of American security assistance will provide to Ukrainian forces."

As Ukrinform reported earlier, according to the General Staff of Ukraine, the combat losses of Russian troops as of April 24 reached 461,940, including 880 invaders over the past day.