Russian President Vladimir Putin
(Picture: AP)Russia has formally integrated occupied areas of Ukraine into its Southern Military District, according to British intelligence officials.
In its latest intelligence update, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said the Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republic, Zaporizhzhia and the Kherson regions are being placed under three-star Russian military command.
The Southern Military District is a military district of Russia. It is one of the five military districts of the Russian Armed Forces, with its jurisdiction primarily within the North Caucasus region of the country, and Russian bases in South Caucasian post-Soviet states.
The MoD added: “This follows Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu’s January announcement that military expansion would include the establishment of ‘self-sufficient force groupings’ in Ukraine.
“The move highlights that the Russian military likely aspires to integrate newly occupied territory into a long-term strategic posture.
“However, it is unlikely to have an immediate impact on the campaign: Russia currently deploys forces from across all of Russia’s military districts, commanded by an ad hoc deployed headquarters.”
It comes after one of Volodymyr Zelensky’s advisors warned that Vladimir Putin is plotting "maximum escalation" to mark the first anniversary of the war.
Oleksiy Danilov, secretary of the National Security and Defence Council, said Moscow is "obsessed" with dates and would be focusing on February 24, the day the 70-year-old Russian leader began his so-called "special military operation".
The warning comes as his forces try desperately to secure more territory before Western battle tanks arrive in Ukraine.
Mr Zelensky said yesterday Russia is accelerating operations in eastern Ukraine.
Military analyst Yevhen Dikiy said forces are pushing from both the north and south to encircle Bakhmut, using superior troop numbers to try to cut it off.
Mr Zelensky said his country would fight to hold on to the city for as long as it could.
He urged the West to supply long-range weapons to help Kyiv push Russia out of the Donbas region.
Speaking at a news conference alongside top EU officials as he rekindled his country’s bid for membership, the Ukraine leader said: "We will fight for as long as we can. We consider Bakhmut our fortress."
Shortly after his rallying cry, Washington announced it is planning to send new long-range GPS-guided rockets to Ukraine as part of a $2.2billion (£1.8billion) package of military aid.
The weapon combines an air force small-diameter bomb and an Army rocket already being operated by Ukraine’s forces.
But it will not be delivered for at least nine months, the time Boeing will need to manufacture the munitions.
