Chief of the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine Kirill Budanov expects the attacks in Kharkiv Region to continue for another three to four days, after which Russian troops will launch a powerful offensive towards Sumy. Budanov said this in an interview with The New York Times.
Among other things, Budanov assessed the situation in the Kharkiv Region.
"The situation is on the brink. With every passing hour, the situation is getting closer to critical," Budanov said.
General Budanov assessed that Ukrainian forces will be able to reinforce their lines and stabilise the front over the next few days. But he expects Russia to launch a new attack north of Kharkiv, in Sumy Region.
The publication notes that earlier Ukrainian officials said that Russia had amassed troops near Sumy Region.
Pavlo Velycho, a Ukrainian officer operating near the Russian border in Sumy Region, said that Russians have recently intensified shelling of the outskirts of Sumy.
"I don't know if it means anything, because these places were frequently shelled anyway. In any case, we are in full combat readiness," the Ukrainian officer said.
General Budanov also said that the Russian goal in the northeast was to sow panic in the region. "At the moment, our task is to stabilise the line and then start pushing them back across the border," he said, adding that the influx of Ukrainian reserves had managed to "partially disrupt their plans".