Russia plans to take full control of southern Ukraine and the Donbas region, which could give Vladimir Putin a gateway to the breakaway republic of Transnistria inside Moldova.
After moving some troops away from Mariupol - where hundreds of Ukrainian marines are bunkered down in a defiant last stand - the Russian leader is said to be focused on taking total control of the Donbas.
The reports come after a senior Ukrainian official said Russian troops were massing in the self-declared republic of Transnistria and preparing to carry out "provocations" along the border.
