Russian war bloggers report the beginning of a Ukrainian offensive in Kharkiv and the Donbas

During the evening of May 11, pro-war Russian Telegram channels started reporting that the long-anticipated Ukrainian counteroffensive has begun.

War blogger Evgeny Poddubny reported that Ukrainian troops “began their operation to encircle” Russian forces near Bakhmut. According to Poddubny, Ukraine’s Armed Forces managed to break through the front lines in the Soledar region.

Alexander Kots, another war blogger, writes that Ukrainian tanks were spotted on the road that runs past Kharkiv, moving toward the Russian border. Kots suggested that the maneuver could be aimed at stretching Russian resources used to “stop the threat in the Belgorod region.” Poddubny also reported Ukrainian military activity near Kharkiv.

At the same time, Igor Strelkov, the former head of the Defense Ministry of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic opined that “so far we’re talking about local (albeit successful) counterattacks.” The Telegram channel Grey Zone, which is close to Wagner Group, characterized war bloggers’ reports of a Ukrainian offensive as “out of the blue panic.”

Kyiv has made no comment on possible Ukrainian troop movements.

Yesterday, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky told BBC News Russian that Ukraine’s Armed Forces needed “a little more time” to prepare a counteroffensive that would minimize “unacceptably large” losses.