Russia and Ukraine: Zhernikov warns of a Russian assault with half one million troops later this month

Ukrainian Protection Minister Oleksiy Reznikov warned that Russia is getting ready for a brand new all-out assault on his nation and introduced that it might begin as quickly as potential, on February 24.

Reznikov stated Moscow had mobilized 1000’s of troops and will “strive one thing” by the primary anniversary of the invasion, which started in February final 12 months.

The assault additionally coincides with Defender of the Fatherland Day on February 23, which the Russian military celebrates yearly.

Reznikov stated Moscow mobilized about 500,000 troops to hold out this assault.

Russian President Vladimir Putin final September introduced a basic mobilization of about 300,000 troops, saying it was mandatory to make sure the nation’s “territorial integrity”.

Nonetheless, Ukraine’s protection minister identified that the precise variety of recruitments and deployments to Ukraine may very well be a lot larger.

Reznikov, in statements to the French BFM community, added that they (the Russians) have formally introduced 300,000 troops, however once we see the forces on the borders, in response to our estimates, they’re much greater than that.

The BBC can not independently confirm this quantity.

Though some heavy preventing broke out within the jap Donbass area, the conflict has stalled in current months since Ukraine recaptured the southern metropolis of Kherson.

Aside from the Russian seize of town of Solidar, neither aspect made important territorial advances.

However Reznikov pressured that forward of the alleged Russian advance, the Ukrainian management will attempt to “stabilize the entrance and put together for a counterattack.”

“I’m assured that 2023 could be the 12 months of navy victory,” he stated, including that Ukrainian armed forces “should not lose the initiative” they’ve achieved in current months.

Ukraine’s protection minister visited France to finalize a deal to buy extra MG-200 air protection radars, which he stated would “considerably enhance the armed forces’ capacity to detect air targets, together with cruise missiles and ballistic missiles, in addition to drones of varied varieties.” .

Reznikov’s feedback come as Ukrainian intelligence claims President Putin has ordered his forces to grab the Donbass River earlier than the top of spring.

However NATO Secretary Normal Jens Stoltenberg warned Monday there was no signal that Putin had restricted his navy targets to conquering Ukraine’s jap areas.

“They (the Russian armed forces) are actively getting new weapons, extra ammunition, growing their manufacturing, however they’re additionally getting extra weapons from different authoritarian nations like Iran and North Korea,” Stoltenberg stated.

Most notably, he said: “We’ve got seen no proof that President Putin has modified his total aim with this invasion, which is management of a neighbor, management of Ukraine. So long as that is the case, we should put together for a long-term confrontation.”

In the meantime, Ukraine’s Deputy Protection Minister Hana Malyar stated fierce preventing continued within the Donbass area, the place Russian forces and Wagner Group mercenaries are trying to grab the city of Bakhmut.

It added that Russian forces had been additionally trying to seize Liman, the previous Russian logistics heart that Ukrainian forces recaptured in October.

“Russian forces are actively attempting to achieve the borders of the Donetsk and Luhansk areas,” Hana wrote on the messaging app Telegram. “Our troopers are defending each inch of Ukrainian territory,” she stated.