Ukrainian officials have warned that Russia is preparing to launch a powerful offensive involving up to 500,000 conscripts and thousands of pieces of military equipment in the Donbas region.
Russian forces have already amassed an estimated 1,800 tanks, 3,950 armored vehicles, 2,700 artillery systems, 810 multiple rocket launch systems, 400 fighter jets, and 300 helicopters.
The attack, expected in the next ten days, is aimed at capturing the entire Donbas region in eastern Ukraine, sparking fears of another round of conflict in the region.
In recent weeks, foreign analysts and Ukrainian officials have predicted that Russia was gearing up for a decisive push to seize the battlefield initiative from Kyiv's forces, timed to coincide with the first anniversary of the war.
Ukraine's Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov said in a recent interview that Russia is preparing to throw 300,000 to 500,000 soldiers into battle in the coming weeks.
However, Moscow has dismissed these claims, describing them as "misinformation."
Since 2014, Ukraine has been locked in a conflict with Russian-backed separatists seeking independence for the Donbas region.
In the past seven years, the war has killed over 13,000 people and has left Ukraine's economy in tatters.
The potential for another round of conflict raises concerns about further economic and human costs in the region.
The current conflict has precipitated a sharp rise in tensions between Ukraine and Russia.
The Russian annexation of Crimea in 2014 was met with international condemnation and the imposition of economic sanctions by the U.S. and the EU. During the war, Russia has been accused of providing military support to the separatists, though Moscow has continually denied any involvement in the conflict.