WASHINGTON, January 7. /TASS/. Military activities on the territory of Ukraine are likely to continue for months to come, US National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby said.

"We certainly expect over the next couple of months that the Russians aren’t just going to throw up their hands and stop or just dig in," Kirby said speaking at a news briefing.

"I won’t speak for their [Russia’s] specific tactical plans. They have remained on the offense in places in Ukraine…," Kirby said adding that in some directions "they’ve largely assumed what we would call a ‘defense in depth’."

US authorities announced on Friday another package of aid for Ukraine, worth over $3 billion, and it includes deliveries of US track-mounted Bradley infantry fighting vehicles and self-propelled howitzers.

The situation along the line of engagement in Donbass escalated on February 17, 2022. The Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics (DPR and LPR) reported the most massive bombardments by the Ukrainian military back then, which damaged civilian infrastructure and caused civilian casualties.

On February 21, 2022, President Vladimir Putin announced that Moscow was recognizing the sovereignty of the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics. Russia signed agreements on friendship, cooperation and mutual assistance with their leaders. Moscow recognized the Donbass republics in accordance with the DPR and LPR constitutions within the boundaries of the Donetsk and Lugansk Regions as of the beginning of 2014.

Russian President Putin announced on February 24, 2022, that in response to a request by the heads of the Donbass republics for assistance he had decided to carry out a special military operation in Ukraine. The DPR and the LPR launched an operation to liberate their territories under Kiev’s control.