A Russian convoy carrying heavy military equipment is headed for Crimea, reports said Saturday, in an apparent bid by Moscow to step up its offensive in Ukraine. The equipment is reportedly being transported near the Kerch Bridge, also known as the Crimean Bridge, which connects the Crimean peninsula with Russia for rail and vehicle transport. The rail trucks were reportedly loaded with machinery including howitzers, heavy armored vehicles, tanks, infantry fighting vehicles, trucks and fuel tanks, according to Radio Free Europe. FILE – A vehicle runs on the Crimean road and rail bridge passing over the Kerch Strait and connecting southern Russia with the Crimean peninsula on May 15, 2018, in Kerch, before the opening ceremony. (ALEXANDER NEMENOV/POOL/AFP via Getty Images) WHERE THE WAR IN UKRAINE IS AT THE 6 MONTH MARK The transfer of heavy military equipment to Crimea comes as there is renewed focus on the peninsula, which Russia has occupied since 2014. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said this week that Ukrainian forces will not stop fighting until all Russian occupation forces are removed from the country – including Crimea where Russia has gained a major stronghold. “Everything started with Crimea and will end with Crimea,” Zelensky told world leaders at a forum on Tuesday. “It is necessary to liberate Crimea. This will be the revival of world law and order.” Although Zelenskyy appears to have the support of world leaders, experts believe that ousting Russia from Crimea will prove difficult. Fighting along Ukraine’s 1,500-mile front line has largely stopped in recent weeks, but defense officials say both sides are preparing for major campaigns in areas such as Donetsk. FILE – The Kerch Strait bridge that allows shipping to flow between the Sea of ​​Azov and the Black Sea. (Gallo Images / Copernicus Sentinel 2018 / Orbital Horizon) PUTIN TO INCREASE RUSSIA’S TROOP SIZE IN WAR IN UKRAINE Reports in recent months have suggested Ukraine is preparing a large-scale counteroffensive against Russia as the advance of Moscow’s troops in the east and south has slowed. The UK Ministry of Defense estimated on Saturday that fighting in the eastern Donetsk region may have intensified over the past five days, as Russia tries to force Ukrainian troops from other areas to contest more strongly in the south and north.
“Pro-Russian separatist militias have likely made some progress towards the center of the village of Pisky, near Donetsk airport. However, overall, Russian forces have made little territorial gains,” the British intelligence briefing said. A Russian military truck drives past unexploded ordnance during the Ukraine-Russia conflict in the Russian-controlled village of Chornobaivka, Ukraine, July 26, 2022. (REUTERS/Alexander Ermochenko) CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “There is a realistic possibility that Russia has increased its efforts in Donbas in an attempt to attract or fix additional Ukrainian units, amid speculation that Ukraine is planning a major counteroffensive,” the report added. The ministry estimated that Ukraine is pushing back into areas in Kherson, Zaporizhia, Donetsk and Kharkiv regions where heavy fighting continues. Caitlin McFall is a reporter for Fox News Digital. She can be reached at [email protected] or @ctlnmcfall on Twitter.