Putin hopes for decrease in support for Ukraine and plans war of attrition - Bloomberg

Despite the fact that the Russian occupying contingent cannot break through on the Ukrainian front and is advancing slowly, Putin remains determined to achieve victory on the battlefield, despite losses.

Against the backdrop of his recent re-election for another six-year term in power, the Kremlin leader is attempting, without evidence, to accuse Ukraine of alleged involvement in the terrorist attack in Moscow suburbs on March 22 and to continue the occupation campaign. This comes after previous diplomatic contacts with the United States at the end of last year ended inconclusively, according to four experts familiar with Kremlin military strategy.

According to US representatives, they see no signs that the Russian dictator took seriously the search for a way to end hostilities at the end of 2023. They have dismissed the idea of negotiating a "ceasefire" without Ukraine's involvement.

"Putin’s likely to escalate now. His goal is victory," said Alexey Mukhin, the head of the Moscow-based Center for Political Information, which provides advisory services to the Kremlin.

He added that Russia is "ready to continue this conflict for as long as necessary."

Bloomberg also reports that the Kremlin's unsubstantiated claims about the supposed "Ukrainian trace" in the Moscow bombing create speculation that the Russian government may be laying the groundwork for further escalation of the war, including the possibility of another mobilization of reserves despite economic challenges and consequences for the country.

Recently, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu claimed that by the end of the year, the Kremlin plans to form 2 new general-purpose armies, 14 divisions, and 16 brigades. Currently, Russians are enticing recruits with generous pay promises and aim to recruit at least 250,000 soldiers in 2024.

However, according to Bloomberg, Russia may face difficulties in conducting new large-scale offensives due to a shortage of troops. This could hinder the Kremlin's aspirations to capture cities like Kharkiv and Odesa, especially for attempts to create a "buffer zone" in Ukraine.

"I don’t believe the take over of Kharkiv is possible. The Kremlin doesn’t have enough forces for such a task and the city is too big. For a real breakthrough in this war, Russia needs much better communication capabilities, many more high-precision weapons and many more people," voiced the head of the Centre for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies, Ruslan Pukhov.

Discussions about Russia's preparation for a possible offensive

It is worth noting that earlier President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in an interview with CBS News, mentioned that the situation on the front had stabilized after the winter escalation. The head of state noted that Russia is likely preparing for a new offensive, which may occur at the end of May or in June.

According to the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Oleksandr Syrskyi, in the event of an enemy offensive, Kharkiv will be a "fatal city" for the Russians.

Recently, the advisor to the head of the Office of the President, Mykhailo Podoliak, addressed Ukraine's allies with an important statement, emphasizing that Russia is throwing all its resources into war, and such a war has only a military solution.

Today, April 3, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Russia plans to mobilize an additional 300,000 servicemen by June 1.

For more information on what is happening on the front and whether there are signals of a new Russian offensive, read the material by RBC-Ukraine.