The Russian army is preparing for new offensive actions against Ukraine, concentrating forces in the Sumy, Kharkiv, and Zaporizhia directions. This was stated by President Volodymyr Zelensky, emphasizing that the Kremlin is trying to use any negotiations as a means to stall for time and regroup troops.
According to Ukrainian intelligence, Russian troops are increasing their presence near Ukraine's borders, planning another breakthrough attempt. Zelensky stressed that Moscow is deliberately delaying the negotiation process and trying to involve Washington in endless discussions about "conditions" that are actually manipulation.
“Russia wants to buy time and then try to seize even more land. Putin thinks only about war, and negotiations for him are just an excuse to pause before the offensive,” the Ukrainian president said.
Zelensky stressed that to confront the new wave of Russian aggression, Ukraine needs further military assistance, including artillery shells, drones, and air defense systems.
“We need more investment, more joint production, more localization of everything aimed at scaling our defense potential – from shells to drones and missiles,” the head of state noted.
He also emphasized the need for urgent funding for Ukraine's defense support:
“Europe needs to find 5 billion euros for artillery shells this year. We also need to increase the production of anti-aircraft systems and missiles,” Zelenskyy emphasized.
According to him, domestic weapons production in Ukraine is underfunded by approximately 20 billion euros, and these funds can be obtained from confiscated Russian assets.
Let us recall that in August 2024, the Armed Forces of Ukraine launched an offensive in the Kursk region, as a result of which they were able to occupy more than 100 settlements and create a buffer zone on the territory of Russia.
According to the president, this operation was a preventive step to prevent an attack by Russian troops on the Sumy region. For the past six months, the Russian army has been trying to dislodge Ukrainian forces from their occupied positions, even involving North Korean troops in the fighting.
In March, the situation on the front escalated - Russia intensified its attacks, which once again confirms its unwillingness to stop the war and its desire to expand the occupied territories.
