Russia prepares new offensive actions, may attack from north or east
Russia is not planning to end the war against Ukraine but will continue offensive operations on various fronts.
Source: Website of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence, quoting Andrii Cherniak, a representative from Defence Intelligence,
Quote from Cherniak: "According to Ukrainian military intelligence estimates, the Russians will try to continue conducting offensive operations next year. They have not managed to achieve their goal on any of the fronts. They understand that they are losing, but they do not plan to end the war.
We are considering the possibility that they can attack from the north or east at the same time."
Details: He stressed that defenders are ready for any invader action.
Cherniak also expressed a belief that the Russians will try to hold the land corridor to Crimea and seize the whole of Donetsk Oblast.
At the same time, he believes that the invaders will not be able to cross the Dnipro River to recapture the city of Kherson.
Ukrainian military intelligence forecasts that over the next 4–5 months, the Russian army may lose up to 70,000 more servicemen.
But, according to Cherniak, the Russian leadership is ready for such losses.
Background:
- Valerii Zaluzhnyi, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, has stated that Russian forces will attack the city of Kyiv again. He said that Russia may launch a major offensive from the east, south or north in January or spring.
- Ukrainian Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov said that Russian troops are preparing for a new large-scale offensive in February 2023.
- Dmytro Kuleba, Ukraine’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, has suggested that Russian troops may resume a large-scale offensive on Ukraine in January or February 2023.
- Oleksii Danilov, Secretary of the National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine, is confident that Russia has no chance to capture Ukrainian territory.
- NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg stated that Russian President Vladimir Putin is ready for a long war and new offensive operations.
- At the end of December 2022, Oleksii Hromov, Deputy Chief of the Main Operational Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, reported that only 22,000 Russian servicemen are currently located in Belarus, Bryansk and Kursk oblasts of Russia near Ukraine, which is half as many as before the full-scale invasion on 24 February 2022 and the attack on Kyiv.
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