Zelenskyy: Russia preparing for new offensive in May or June – video

Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine, has revealed that the Russians may be preparing to conduct a new offensive which is expected late in May or in June. He did not specify which front was under risk.

Source: Zelenskyy in an interview for CBS News

CBS News states in the description of the interview with reference to the statement of the President of Ukraine that "Ukrainian forces are not prepared to defend against another major Russian offensive expected in the coming months". Meanwhile, Zelenskyy himself does not say in the video that the Ukrainian army is unable to resist against the new Russian offensive.

Quote by Zelenskyy: "We have stabilised the situation as much as possible. Considering the fact there is a deficit of weapons, ammunition, considering the fact that we are starting to prepare brigades for corresponding actions important to us, we have stabilized the situation. It is better than it used to be two or three months ago.

We share all the information with our partners and say that Russia will prepare counter-offensive actions. This may be the end of May or June…

We need help to prepare the brigades which will have to fight for our land, especially during the counter-offensive actions Russia wants to start."

Quote: "And before that, we not only need to prepare, we not only need to stabilise the situation, because the partners are sometimes really happy that we have stabilised the situation. No, I say we need help now."

He added that the Ukrainian army had stabilised the situation, and it is better now than two-three months ago when there was a significant deficit of artillery ammunition and different types of armament.

Zelenskyy met with journalists during his trip to the city of Sumy. There, he inspected new underground bunkers in the outskirts of the city.

Zelenskyy stated that this whole territory of Ukraine is in the state of combat readiness in response to an increasing number of the Russian troops on the opposite side of the border and attacks on surrounding villages: "Usually, when they attack by artillery and destroy the villages, after that, they always tried to occupy. We don't know what will be tomorrow. That's why we have to prepare."

Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine urgently needs more of US-made Patriot anti-air systems and more artillery: "Dozens of billions remain in the US. Let's be honest, the money which is allocated by the Congress, by the administration, in the majority of cases, 80% of this money — well, at least more than 75% — stays in the U.S. This ammunition is coming to us, but the production is taking place there, and the money stays in the US, and the taxes are staying in the US."

Background: 

• Lieutenant General Oleksandr Pavliuk, Commander of Ukraine's Ground Forces, stated that Russia was forming a new contingent of troops consisting of more than 100,000 soldiers, and that the Russians may attempt an offensive along part of the Ukrainian front this summer.  
• With the onset of summer, the threat of a new large-scale offensive by Russian occupation forces along the entire line of contact is growing, writes the UK edition of the Economist.

This news has been updated since publication.

Support UP or become our patron!