RIGHT SPEAK: UKR Soldiers Near Kupiansk Prepare for Potential Russian Offensive; Massive Explosion Rocks CHP Plant Deep Inside RU; UKR Drones Attack Ru Iron-Ore Factory in Kursk Region; UKR Repel 63 Attacks in 6 Sectors; RU Loses: 50 Art-Sys, 1250 Sold -Past Day, LIVE UPDATES and LOTS MORE

Ukrainian soldiers near Kupiansk prepare for potential Russian offensive:

As Russia rolls past now-occupied Avdiivka further west, other parts of the front have seen quieter days. But as the thick layers of mud dry up, a pronged Russian offensive seems imminent.

Ukrainian soldiers defending Kupiansk brace for a renewed major push.

"I think that (Russian troops) are preparing for a breakthrough (in the Kupiansk direction). The ground will dry up, and they will gather all forces, all equipment," said 47-year-old infantryman Ruslan with Ukraine's 43rd Separate Mechanized Brigade deployed on the Kupiansk axis. "I think something not great (for us) will happen."

For now, Russia is intensively using drones and artillery to attack Ukrainian positions, but very few close-range battles are occurring, according to Ukrainian soldiers deployed in the area.

Eastward of Kupiansk, a strategic railway hub held by Russia for six months in 2022, there have already been a few large-scale attacks in the recent past, with the latest one in January enabling Russia to make some progress near three deserted villages – Krokhmalne, Tabaivka, and Kotliarivka – which Moscow says it now controls.

Small Russian assault groups are constantly working to detect weak spots for a potential breakthrough, according to Ukrainian soldiers and officers interviewed by the Kyiv Independent.

The heaviest fighting in the area rages on near the villages of Synkivka, just over 10 kilometers (6 miles) northeast of Kupiansk, and Tabaivka, a few dozen kilometers away – close to the largely Russian-occupied Luhansk Oblast.

While Russian troops had entered Synkivka at certain point in the battle, Ukraine has held control of the village despite Moscow's attempt to capture it since summer 2023, according to Ukrainian military expert Oleksandr Musiienko, who heads Kyiv-based National Defense University's Center for Military and Strategic Studies.

Ukraine's military reported on Feb. 29 that Russian troops were continuing their assault on Synkivka, hoping to pave the way for the blockade of nearby Kupiansk.

Further eastward, Tabaivka remains a grey zone with neither side actually controlling the village, Musiienko said.

Ukrainian troops are holding onto the heights on the village's outskirts, as Russia continues to wage an offensive from Luhansk Oblast, he added. --->READ MORE HERE

NATALIA KOLESNIKOVA/AFP/Getty Images

Massive Explosion Rocks CHP Plant Deep Inside Russia:

A massive explosion rocked a combined heat and power (CHP) plant in the city of Shagonar in Russia's Tuva Republic, southern Siberia, on Wednesday morning, killing one person and injuring at least 23 others.

The explosion was first reported at 8:49 a.m. local time. The head of the republic, Vladislav Khovalyg, said on his Telegram channel that a fire at the thermal power plant had been localized. A state of emergency has been introduced in the region.

💥 Russia: Thermal power plant exploded in Tyva. pic.twitter.com/WZCjN1dy5u

— Igor Sushko (@igorsushko) March 6, 2024

There have been several major explosions and fires inside Russia since Russian President Vladimir Putin's war in Ukraine began on February 24, 2022. Many incidents have occurred at warehouses and military and industrial sites. Ukraine rarely claims responsibility for strikes on Russian soil. Newsweek has contacted Russia's defense ministry for comment by email.

"At the moment, 18 people are hospitalized. Six are in serious condition. 9—in a state of moderate severity. Three more are in satisfactory condition," said Khovalyg.

Russian Telegram channel Mash reported later that the number of injured victims had increased to 22 people.

"After the explosion at the thermal power plant, the victims were diagnosed with burns of various degrees to the limbs, body and head, as well as head injuries, concussions and soft tissue bruises. Most are in a state of shock. The youngest of them is 28, and the oldest is 65 years old," the channel said. --->READ MORE HERE