KYIV, Feb 10 (Reuters) - Ukrainian officials in the east, scene of the fiercest fighting in the war with Russia, said an anticipated fresh offensive by Moscow is underway, while President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said several European leaders were ready to supply aircraft he has sought.

Zelenskiy, who was due to return to Kyiv on Friday, said in Brussels that several European Union leaders told him at a summit on Thursday they were ready to equip Ukraine with aircraft including fighter jets. If confirmed, this would be one of the biggest shifts yet in Western support.

As the anniversary of Russia's invasion approaches on Feb. 24, Kyiv has predicted an aggressive onslaught from Moscow aimed at producing achievements it can trumpet at the one-year mark, after months of little movement.

Asked on Ukrainian television if he agreed that the Russian offensive had already begun, Pavlo Krylenko, governor of the eastern Donetsk region, said on Thursday: "Yes, definitely."

Around eastern towns like Bakhmut, Avdiivka and Vuhledar that have witnessed some of the bloodiest battles of the war, "the enemy's forces and means are escalating there with daily intensity. They are trying to ... seize these areas and key cities ... to score new successes," he said.

The wider Donbas area of the east, comprised of Donetsk and Luhansk, has been one of Russia's major objectives, and the Kremlin declared them in the autumn to be among four annexed territories after referendums decried as shams by the West.

Around eastern towns like Bakhmut, Avdiivka and Vuhledar that have witnessed some of the bloodiest battles of the war, "the enemy's forces and means are escalating there with daily intensity. They are trying to ... seize these areas and key cities ... to score new successes," he said.

The wider Donbas area of the east, comprised of Donetsk and Luhansk, has been one of Russia's major objectives, and the Kremlin declared them in the autumn to be among four annexed territories after referendums decried as shams by the West.