ore pro-Putin officials installed in occupied Ukraine They will be the target of a backlash against the puppet civilian administrations, British defense chiefs said on Wednesday.
They emphasized that a mayor in a Russian-appointed administration was killed in a car bomb.
But Vladimir PutinThe regime’s regime is trying to gain more control over the occupied territories of Ukraine, including by fraternizing cities with Russian ones.
Steps have also been taken to make it easier for Ukrainians to become Russian citizens.
In the latest intelligence update, the Ministry of Defense in London said: “Anti-Russian sentiment in occupied Ukraine is leading to Russian and pro-Russian officials being targeted.
“The Russian-appointed government in Velykyy Burluk has acknowledged that one of its mayors was killed by a car bomb on July 11, 2022.”
The briefing added: “The targeting of officials is likely to escalate, adding to the already significant challenges facing the Russian occupiers and potentially increasing pressure on already diminished military and security formations.”
However, it also stressed: “Russia continues to try to undermine the legitimacy of the Ukrainian state and consolidate its own governance and administrative control over occupied parts of Ukraine.
“Recently this included an initiative to merge Russian and Ukrainian cities and regions to develop post-conflict administrations and a decree to make it easier for Ukrainians to obtain Russian citizenship.”
As the Russian bombing campaign in eastern Ukraine continued, British defense chiefs predicted: “In the Donbas, Russian forces are likely to focus in the coming week on taking several small towns, including Siversk and Dolyna on the approaches to Slovyansk and Kramatorsk.
“The urban areas of Sloyansk and Kramatorsk probably remain the main targets for this phase of the operation.”
In the south of the country, Ukrainian troops have launched a counter-offensive to retake the area captured by Russian troops.
The West is waging an information war against the Kremlin and Defense emphasizes much more Russian losses than Ukrainian defeats.
However, the propaganda emanating from the Kremlin is often much more questionable, including claims that civilian buildings are not being targeted, as thousands, if not tens of thousands of civilians have been killed since Mr Putin launched his invasion on February 24.