Defence Minister Reznikov predicts major Russian offensive in spring: We must be ready

Oleksii Reznikov, the Minister of Defence of Ukraine, has stated that Ukraine should prepare for a new Russian offensive in the spring from the areas it has already occupied in the country’s south and east.

Source: Reznikov in an interview with BBC

Details: The minister believes Russia may be trying to gather "forces, ammunition and weapons" for an offensive from areas it already occupies in the south and east of Ukraine.

Ukraine, meanwhile, needs time to regroup and rearm while it awaits the delivery of Western weapons.

Quote: "Spring is the best period to refresh the movement for all sides. We understand they'll be ready to start and, surely, we have to be ready to start."

Details: At the same time, the Defence Minister does not think that the Russians are preparing a repeated invasion from Belarus.

According to him, the movement from the north "would take a lot of time, and they [Russia] have no resources".

He has commented on the plans of Poland and Britain to supply Ukraine with main battle tanks.

Reznikov believes that Ukraine will receive "tanks, fighting aircrafts or jets, and long-range weaponry to hit targets in 300 km as well", because "things were changing" in Western countries.

According to Reznikov, Ukraine has already become a de facto member of NATO and will soon become a de jure member.

Background: 

• In December 2022, Reznikov told The Guardian in an interview that Russian troops were preparing for a new large-scale offensive in February 2023.
• Reznikov's statement regarding a possible new full-scale Russian offensive coincided with similar statements made by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Valerii Zaluzhnyi, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and Oleksandr Syrskyi, Commander of the Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, in an interview with The Economist.
• In an interview with The Economist Zaluzhnyi said that the Russians are training about 200,000 new soldiers; he has no doubt that they will attack Kyiv again.
• According to Zaluzhnyi, Russia may launch a major offensive from Donbas in the east, from the south or even from Belarus in January, but most likely in the spring.

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