Intensification of actions in three areas: Musienko explains occupiers’ intentions in Kharkiv region
Russian troops are conducting a strategic offensive in the Kharkiv region. The enemy has intensified in some other areas, but the question arises whether the occupiers will be able to implement their intentions due to the lack of personnel.
This was stated by Oleksandr Musienko, Head of the Military Legal Studies Centre, in a commentary to Yana Brenzey, host of the United News telethon.
The offensive in the Kharkiv region
– I think we can talk about the enemy’s strategic offensive. If earlier there were still some doubts, now I can say that the strategic intention of the Russian troops is a comprehensive operation and the encirclement of Kharkiv as a regional centre. Now the enemy’s activity is widespread in the area of Vovchansk, where there are already battles almost on the approaches. Today, the enemy has also become more active in two other places,” he said.
According to the analyst, the occupants are planning to intensify their offensive in the direction of Kozacha Lopan. Another direction is Hraivoron and Velyka Pysarivka in Sumy region, from where they will try to move to Zolochiv in Kharkiv region.
Photo: DeepStateMapLive
– Obviously, if we look at the map, we will notice that the enemy is intensifying its actions in three directions, which indicates that this is the strategic intention of the operation,” the expert explained.
What problems may arise for the occupiers
– Another question is whether the Russian troops will be able to achieve this and do it. There is a shortage of personnel, and then there are the defensive actions of our troops. They are considering a backup option, which has already been partially voiced. This is a buffer or sanitary zone as the goal of this operation,” he stressed.
According to Musienko, in case of failure, this buffer or sanitary zone will allow the Russian occupiers to attack Kharkiv later anyway.
– “But do you understand what the situation is? Everything will depend on whether they have any success. If they succeed in doing what they set out to do by the end of May, to gain a foothold in Vovchansk and further south, to create a 10-15 km buffer zone, then they will see prospects for offensive action, and they will move on. And they will intend to take Kharkiv in a semi-ring, to semi-encircle it,” the expert said.
Musienko does not rule out that for this purpose the enemy will redeploy certain forces from the southern borders to the occupied territories, where they are not so involved now.
– The level of any operation, what the enemy will be able to achieve, is determined by how quickly the weapons arrive. Ukrainian forces are reacting quite actively and quickly, acting correctly on the defensive lines, but they still need weapons,” the analyst stressed.
