Published: 12 February 2023

Politics section CJ journalist

Ukrainian and Western officials have warned

 that Russia plans to launch a new, broad offensive in the Donbas to try to turn the tide of the conflict as the war approaches the one-year mark.

But Ukrainian officials say that Moscow is having trouble mounting such an offensive.

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"They are having big problems with a big offensive," Oleksy Danilov, the secretary of Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council, told Ukrainian television on Saturday night.

"They have begun their offensive, they're just not saying they have, and our troops are repelling it very powerfully. The offensive that they planned is already gradually underway. But [it is] not the offensive they were counting on," Mr Danilov said.

His comments echo an earlier assessment from the UK Ministry of Defence, which said Russia had been attempting to restart major offensive operations since January.