Russia is preparing new offensives on three regions of Ukraine - Zelenskyy
Photo: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy (facebook.com/zelenskyy.official)
Intelligence has recorded Russia's preparation for new offensives. The threat is directed at the Sumy, Kharkiv, and Zaporizhzhia regions, according to a statement from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
"According to our intelligence, Russia is getting ready for new offensives against the Sumy, Kharkiv, and Zaporizhzhia regions. They’re dragging out the talks and trying to get the US stuck in endless, pointless discussions about fake 'conditions' just to buy time and then try to grab more land," explained the president.
According to Zelenskyy, Russian President Vladimir Putin wants to negotiate over territory from a stronger position, as he is only focused on war.
"So our job – all of us – is defense in the broadest sense of the word. That means keeping military aid going, but also, we need investments, more joint projects, more co-production, more localization, all aimed at scaling up and developing our defense production – from shells to drones and missiles," emphasized the head of Ukraine.
He also noted that Europe needs to do everything possible to defend itself.
"Let’s talk today about which defense directions in terms of support and production are the most useful. It’s 5 billion euros for artillery shells to ensure our defense this year. And this funding must be found now," he stressed.
Zelenskyy also pointed out that air defense systems and missiles should not be forgotten.
"Next is our domestic production. There are things you can produce in your countries, and there are things we can localize in Ukraine. In Ukraine, our defense industry is underfunded by around 20 billion euros. We believe this gap can be closed using Russian assets. And it must be done," the president concluded.
Situation near the Kursk region
In early August last year, Ukrainian forces launched an offensive operation in the Kursk region, as a result of which the Defense Forces captured over 100 settlements and created a buffer zone on Russian territory.
According to President Zelenskyy, this operation was a preventive step to prevent a Russian offensive on the Sumy region.
For the past six months, Russia has been trying to push the Ukrainian Armed Forces out of positions in the Kursk region, involving North Korean troops in the fighting. It is important to note that the situation on the front line escalated in March, and the Russian military's offensive intensified.
