Russian troops are preparing to launch a new offensive in the coming weeks to maximize pressure on Ukraine and strengthen the Kremlin's position in ceasefire talks.
This is reported by The Associated Press.
The Russian offensive is planned to last from 6 to 9 months - that is, almost the entire year of 2025.
According to analysts and commanders of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, as the spring fighting season approaches, the Kremlin wants to launch an offensive along the entire 1,000-kilometer front line. This will allow Putin to strengthen his negotiating position and continue to put forward his conditions to the civilized world.
Russia effectively rejected a US proposal for an immediate and complete cessation of hostilities for 30 days, and the feasibility of a partial ceasefire in the Black Sea was called into question after Kremlin negotiators put forward far-reaching conditions.
Ukrainian military commanders have reported that Russia has recently stepped up attacks to improve its tactical positions ahead of a planned large-scale offensive.
" They need time until May, that's all ," says Ukrainian military analyst Pavlo Narozhnyi.
Russian and North Korean soldiers have all but stripped Ukraine of a vital bargaining chip, returning most of the Kursk region to Russia. Fighting has also intensified in the Donetsk and Zaporizhia directions. Some commanders are concerned that Russia could shift its forces from the Kursk region to the Donbas.
Russia has stepped up reconnaissance missions to find and destroy firing positions, UAV systems and other assets that could hinder the offensive, two Ukrainian commanders said.
" All this could be a sign that an offensive is being prepared in the near future ," says military analyst Oleksiy Getman.
Earlier, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Russia is preparing for a new offensive, in particular in the Sumy and Kharkiv regions.