The Russian leadership does have a plan to capture Kharkiv or Sumy, but it is not known how serious these plans are and whether they are capable of doing so, said Lieutenant General Oleksandr Pavliuk, commander of the Land Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, in an interview with The Times, reports UNN.
Our intelligence services say that the Russians have a plan to capture Kharkiv or Sumy, but we don't know how serious these plans are and whether they are capable of implementing them with the forces at their disposal
According to him, the Russians have set themselves the goal of fully occupying Donetsk and Luhansk regions this year and, if they succeed, Zaporizhzhya region.
На фронті відбулося 134 бойових зіткнення – Генштаб03.05.24, 07:52
However, Pavliuk expressed optimism that the long-awaited military support package from the United States, combined with increased European support, could even give Ukraine a strategic initiative.
The primary weapon we need from the outside is air defense to protect our people, cities and infrastructure from Russian air and missile strikes. And, of course, long-range artillery is also very important for us. With good air defense and long-range artillery, we will be able to win back the strategic advantage from the Russians on the battlefield.
Addendum
Earlier, Deputy Chief of the Main Intelligence Directorate Vadym Skibitsky said that Russia was preparing for an offensive in Kharkiv and Sumy regions in late May or early June.
У ГУР заявили, що втрата Часового Яру – це лише питання часу03.05.24, 02:40