Syrskyi says Russia's offensive on Sumy and Kharkiv regions has already begun

Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrskyi. Photo: REUTERS

Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrskyi said that Russian troops have actually launched an offensive in Sumy and Kharkiv regions.

He said this in an interview with Lb.ua.

«I can say that the president is absolutely right, and this offensive has actually already begun. Because for several days, almost a week, we have been observing an almost twofold increase in the number of enemy offensives in all major areas», said Oleksandr Syrskyi.

At the same time, he stressed that Russia is seeking to fully occupy Donetsk and Luhansk regions, parts of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions, as well as create a buffer zone in Kharkiv, Sumy and Chernihiv regions.

«You can see that despite all the ongoing negotiations, we are only seeing an increase in the intensity of the offensive», said Olexander Syrskyi.

As a reminder, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Russia was preparing for a spring offensive in Sumy and Kharkiv regions. This offensive was supposed to take place eight months ago, but Ukraine thwarted it with the Kursk operation.