Putin orders Russian General Staff to calculate options for offensive from north, Chernihiv region most likely target – Syrskyi
The Russian military command, on the personal orders of dictator Vladimir Putin, has developed several options for new offensive operations from the north, including both the repeated use of Belarusian territory and a direct strike from Russia’s Bryansk region toward the Chernihiv region.
Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrskyi said this in an interview with TSN, Censor.NET reports.
Putin’s order
According to Syrskyi, the Ukrainian command has information about internal processes in the defence ministry of the aggressor country and assesses potential risks in advance.
"We know that Putin tasked the Russian General Staff with calculating various options for an offensive operation, including from the territory of Belarus, with the aim of capturing Kyiv and other territories," the general stressed.
Analyzing the threat from Belarus, the Commander-in-Chief expressed doubt that the self-proclaimed Belarusian leadership was ready to drag its country into the Kremlin’s adventure again, but assured that Ukraine was fully prepared for any development.
"One of the options is an offensive from the territory of Belarus. But I do not think the leadership of the Republic of Belarus will agree to let the Russians use Belarusian territory as a springboard again. But Ukraine is taking this option into account as well," Syrskyi noted.
Main threat is strike from Bryansk region toward Chernihiv region
The Commander-in-Chief clarified that the Russians are not planning an offensive on Kyiv. Instead, they are preparing a much more realistic and dangerous local operation.
"The most likely option, and this is confirmed by several pieces of data, is possible offensive actions in the north from the territory of Russia, from Bryansk region... Not toward Kyiv, but toward Chernihiv region. The enemy plans to advance deeper into the region in order to stretch the front line and force the Armed Forces of Ukraine to use reserves from active directions," he said.
Syrskyi added that Russia seeks to penetrate the Chernihiv region solely in order to force the Ukrainian command to withdraw and redeploy units from the main important sectors of the front where Ukraine is currently conducting active operations and liberating territories, thereby depriving the Armed Forces of Ukraine of operational reserves for further counteroffensives.
