Ukraine is preparing for the offensive of Russian troops this summer. “They will strike in unexpected places”

The commander of the Ukrainian National Guard, Oleksandr Pivnenko, said on Tuesday that Russian troops will strike in unexpected areas of the front when they launch their summer offensive in Ukraine and may try to advance towards the city of Kharkiv, reports Reuters.

Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, has been heavily bombed by rockets and drones in recent weeks, but Kiev’s forces will be ready to counter any attack on the city, Oleksandr Pivnenko said.

“We are preparing. We expect the enemy to give us unpleasant surprises. He will act in areas where we do not expect him. But he will not achieve his goal,” he told the Ukrainian press agency Liga.net.

Russia has advanced in the east, but long-delayed US military aid is expected to finally be approved this week and arrive in Ukraine soon, easing critical shortages of ammunition and air defenses.

Ukrainian officials say they expect a Russian attack in the late spring or summer and believe Moscow wants to capture the strategically important eastern city of Chesiv Iar by May 9, when Soviet Victory Day is celebrated in the Second World War.

Pivnenko said he foresees “some difficulties” for Kiev’s troops, but that Russian forces will not make decisive gains.

“Maybe they will manage to reach 10-15% of their goals. But this will not be a strategic victory,” he says.

The commander of the Ukrainian National Guard expects Russian troops to continue hitting Kharkiv’s critical infrastructure, much of which has already been damaged or destroyed by Russian strikes, but says they will not succeed in capturing the city.

“To conquer Kharkiv, one would have to fight for years,” he believes, recalling the long periods of fighting that preceded the fall of Avdiivka and Bahmut, in the Donetsk region, according to the Ukrainian channel Kanal24.

According to the Ukrainian intelligence services, Russia is planning a new large-scale offensive for the end of May – the beginning of June, for which the Kremlin intends to mobilize 300,000 soldiers. However, some military analysts from Kiev claim that Russia has been on the offensive since last fall, and is currently continuing it, albeit at a slow pace, according to the mentioned Ukrainian media. A

Publisher: CLB

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