Russia is planning a major offensive to coincide with the one-year anniversary of the war in Ukraine on 24 February, Ukrainian Defenсe Minister Oleksiy Reznikov said on French television, the Guardian reports.
The minister warned that Russia is engaging a large number of mobilized soldiers. The actual number of troops could reach 500,000.
“Officially, they announced 300,000, but when we see the troops at the borders, according to our assessments it is much more,” Reznikov said.
According to him, the Russians could launch an offensive in two areas: in the east and south of Ukraine. Given the obsession with symbolism, the attacks may take place around 24 February.
The head of the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine and the National Security and Defence Council secretary also spoke about the high probability of a new offensive.
According to Western analysts, the Russian president is preparing a new offensive against Ukraine to show that his forces can regain the initiative after months of losing ground. The goal may also be to pressurize Kyiv into agreeing to a truce and leaving the already occupied territories within Russia, the data Bloomberg published informs.