Russia is getting ready 100,000 troops who might be used for a doable new offensive push in Ukraine this summer time or to replenish depleted models, the commander of Ukraine’s floor forces mentioned on Friday (Mar 22).
Lieutenant-Common Oleksandr Pavliuk made his feedback on Ukrainian tv after latest advances by Russian troops in japanese Ukraine, greater than two years after Moscow’s full-scale invasion.
“It won’t essentially be an offensive, maybe they’ll replenish their models that misplaced fight functionality however there’s a chance that in the beginning of the summer time they could have sure forces to conduct offensive operations,” Pavliuk mentioned.
In an indication of hardening rhetoric in Russia, the Kremlin mentioned on Friday it now regarded itself as at struggle due to what it mentioned was Western intervention on Ukraine’s facet.
The selection of phrases went past the “particular army operation” language it has used up to now, and might be a part of a shift to arrange folks mentally for a brand new part of the struggle.
Russia’s defence minister additionally mentioned this week that Moscow would bolster its army by including two new armies and 30 new formations by the top of this yr.
Ukraine faces a scarcity of ammunition aggravated by impasse within the US Congress over a brand new help bundle though Kyiv hopes to have sufficient ammunition in April, thanks particularly to a Czech-led initiative to supply artillery shells.
Deputy Defence Minister Ivan Havryliuk mentioned in televised feedback that Russia had an ammunition benefit over Ukraine of seven to at least one.
“I feel that in a month or two this distinction might be considerably lowered, and there won’t be such a big ratio in favour of the Russian Federation,” he mentioned.
