Ukraine is preparing for a new Russian offensive: the army chief speaks of a threat from the north

The Ukrainian army is preparing for a possible new Russian offensive from the north of the country, said the commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian armed forces, Oleksandr Syrskyi. In an interview broadcast on Ukrainian television, however, he stated that an attempt by Russian forces to capture Kyiv remained unlikely.

According to the senior military official, the most credible scenario would be an offensive launched from the Bryansk region of Russia. This operation would target not the Ukrainian capital, but the Chernihiv region in the north of the country, in order to force Ukraine to redeploy some of its troops deployed in other sectors of the front.

Oleksandr Syrskyi explained that such a strategy would allow Russia to extend the front line, which is approximately 1,250 kilometers long, and deprive Ukrainian forces of valuable reserves. He added that the Ukrainian army considered this scenario realistic and was actively preparing for it.

The commander-in-chief, however, deemed an attack launched from Belarus unlikely. Although Minsk allowed Russia to use its territory during the February 2022 invasion, he believes that the Belarusian authorities should not accept greater military involvement in the conflict.

These statements come as Ukrainian authorities have been warning for several weeks about the pressure exerted by Moscow on its Belarusian ally. They demonstrate Kyiv's vigilance in the face of a possible shift in Russian strategy, as fighting continues on several fronts across the country.