Russia plans to seize Kharkiv or Sumy: Commander of the Ground Forces of the Ukrainian Armed Forces
The Russian leadership does have a plan to seize Kharkiv or Sumy, but the Ukrainian side is not sure of its seriousness and the possibility of implementation given the current forces of the Russian Federation.
About this stated commander of the Ground Forces of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Lieutenant General Oleksandr Pavlyuk, in an interview with The Times.
“Our intelligence services report that the Russians have a plan to seize Kharkiv or Sumy, but we do not know how real these plans are and whether they are able to carry them out with the forces they have at their disposal.”, Pavlyuk said in an interview with The Times.
According to him, the Russians set themselves the goal of completely occupying the Donetsk and Luhansk regions this year, as well as, if possible, the Zaporizhzhia region. However, Pavlyuk expressed optimism that the expected package of military aid from the US, combined with the activation of European support, may even give Ukraine a strategic initiative.
“First and foremost, we need weapons from the outside, namely air defenses to protect our people, cities and infrastructure from Russian airstrikes and missile attacks. And, of course, long-range artillery is also of great importance to us. With good anti-aircraft defenses and long-range artillery, we will be able to win back the strategic advantage on the battlefield from the Russians.” – he emphasized.
