KYIV: Russia is building a group of over 100,000 soldiers in advance of what may be a major offensive this summer, Ukraine’s ground forces commander warned Friday.
Moscow’s forces have made a number of gains in recent months, pressing their advantage as Kyiv struggles with shortages of vital munitions from its Western allies.
“We do not know Russia’s plans to the fullest extent. We only know the data they have, what they are creating. They are creating a group of more than 100,000 people,” Lieutenant General Oleksandr Pavliuk said.
“It will not necessarily be an offensive. Perhaps they will use it to replenish their units that are losing their combat capability,” he said.
“But there is a possibility that by the beginning of summer, they may have some forces to conduct offensive operations on one of the directions,” he warned.
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He conceded Russia currently had an advantage on the battlefield, and that Moscow was not “slowing down” its advances around the industrial hub of Avdiivka, which fell to Russian forces in February.
“Russia cannot allow itself to lose the advantage on the battlefield, and only a slowdown in their actions will allow us to seize the initiative,” he said.
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