A new Russian offensive against Kharkiv and Sumy Regions has actually already begun. Over the previous week, the enemy almost doubled the number of offensive activities on all major directions, Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyy told lb.ua.
In general, the situation is unchanged. Russia continues its strategic offensive to capture Ukraine.
"The enemy continues its strategic offensive to capture our territory, defeat our troops, advance into the depths, and seeks to completely seize Donetsk and Luhansk Regions, as well as parts of Kherson and Zaporizhzhya Regions, and create a buffer zone in Kharkiv, Sumy, and Chernihiv Regions. It is pursuing the goals or trying to fulfil the tasks it has been assigned," the Commander-in-Chief explained.
Regarding the preparation of Russia's military exercises in Belarus, Syrskyy recalled that this was the beginning of Russia's full-scale aggression. Military exercises make it possible to disguise the creation of groups.
"That is, the visibility of the exercises is the most acceptable way to relocate, redeploy troops, concentrate them in a certain direction and create a grouping of troops. In fact, this is how it started in 2022," the chief of the army reminded.
- At the end of March, the Ukrainian president warned that Russia was going to launch a new offensive in Sumy and Kharkiv Regions. Russians wanted to launch this offensive eight months ago, but Ukraine prevented it with its Kursk operation.