NATO's Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has said there is no indication that Russia was ready for peace in Ukraine, as he expressed concern that Moscow had already launched its major offensive in the country's east.

Russia has been widely expected to launch a new spring offensive to take as much territory as possible ahead of the war's one year anniversary, and in anticipation of imminent Western arms deliveries to Ukraine.

In an apparent prelude to a major new offensive, heavy Russian artillery fire hit the city of Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine, one of the most intense points of fighting in the Donetsk region.

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"We see no sign whatsoever that (Russian) president (Vladimir) Putin is preparing for peace," Stoltenberg told reporters in Brussels on Monday. "We see how they are sending more troops, more weapons, more capabilities," he said. "What we see is President Putin and Russia still wanting to control Ukraine." 

The capture of Bakhmut is a prime target for Russia and would give it a new foothold in the eastern region of Donetsk, part of Ukraine's industrial heartland that Moscow hopes to make a permanent separate state. 

"The city, the city's suburbs, the entire perimeter, and essentially the entire Bakhmut direction and Kostyantynivka are under crazy, chaotic shelling," said Volodymyr Nazarenko, deputy commander of Ukraine's Svoboda battalion.

In the other Donbas region of Luhansk, Governor Serhiy Haidai said Russian forces had renewed their attacks on the last remaining areas under Ukrainian control. 

"Preparations for this offensive are already under way, the amount of shelling, air strikes and attacks by small groups has already increased. We are waiting for them to start massive round-the-clock attacks," he said on Monday.

Fighter jets to beat back Russian gains

Earlier on Monday, the Russian defense ministry said its troops had pushed forward a few kilometers along the frontlines, without specifying exactly where. To counter the new offensive and recapture lost territory, Kyiv has been calling on its Western allies to provide it with fighter jets and long-range missiles.

Stoltenberg said at the briefing that he expected the issue of aircrafts to be discussed at the upcoming two-day meeting of NATO ministers of defense on Tuesday. He added that if NATO countries were to supply fighter jets to Ukraine it would not make the alliance part of the conflict.

That's despite Russia saying that such an eventuality could lead to a direct standoff between the nuclear-capable military powers. 

NATO to increase targets for ammunition stockpile

Stoltenberg added at the briefing that as the war in Ukraine grinds on, the alliance would have to increase its stockpiles of ammunition.

"The war in Ukraine is consuming an enormous amount of ammunition (...) This puts our defense industries under strain. (...) So we need to ramp up production and invest in our production capacities," Stoltenberg said.

After NATO completed a survey of its remaining allied stocks, he said the waiting time for large-caliber ammunition had increased from 12 to 28 months, meaning the West needed to ramp up production.

"It is clear that we are in a race of logistics. Key capabilities like ammunition, fuel, and spare parts must reach Ukraine before Russia can seize the initiative on the battlefield. Speed will save lives," he said.

"NATO stands with Ukraine for as long as it takes," he added.

Video editor: Nuri Moseinco