Two senior Ukrainian intelligence officials have told the Financial Times newspaper that they expect a major new Russian offensive to begin in late May.
In anticipation of such an offensive, according to the newspaper's interlocutors, the Russian army is launching dense missile strikes on Kharkiv and other strategically important cities, thereby "softening the battlefield."
A source in the Ukrainian army told BILD that the siege of Kharkiv could start with the use of 20,000 to 40,000 troops.
"Then we will have to decide whether we want to defend the north or the east. It is impossible to do both," he said.
Another Ukrainian military officer also told the publication that he considers Kharkiv to be the most likely target of the upcoming Russian offensive.
According to him, the AFU "cannot do anything" without ammunition and missiles for air defense systems. At the same time, the Ukrainian military is now building kilometers of anti-tank barriers not only in the south of the country, but also along the borders with Belgorod, Kursk and Bryansk regions. The goal is to be able to stop another invasion of Russian tanks directly on the border, rather than 100 kilometers inland, as was the case in the spring of 2022.
The American Institute for the Study of War believes that "well-equipped Ukrainian forces could probably prevent a Russian offensive".
