The Centre for Countering Disinformation has denied Russia's speculations about a possible landing in Kharkiv.
The Centre recalled that the US Institute for the Study of War (ISW) recently reported that Russia could form an amphibious assault force to land behind Ukrainian lines. It cited an example of Hostomel where Russians landed at the beginning of the large-scale invasion. Russian channels are also actively disseminating news of similar operations, particularly near Kharkiv. However, Russia has no reserves for an offensive on Kharkiv.
The "Hostomel scenario" is also unlikely, said Andriy Kovalenko, a lieutenant in the Defence Forces and deputy head at the Centre for Countering Disinformation. The Armed Forces have weapons that can quickly destroy any helicopters and aircraft. For example, the operation to destroy the A-50 aircraft over the Sea of Azov is a clear confirmation of this. Before that, there were other shootdowns of Russian planes and helicopters.
The Centre notes that even the Russian landing in Hostomel in February 2022 failed, and today Ukraine has significantly strengthened its air defence. Most likely, Russia will be pushing forward more psyops on this topic. Therefore, the Centre said, only verified sources of information should be trusted.