Russian army amasses forces for offensive in Zaporizhzhia region - military expert

He shared the information on Espreso TV.

"Now, there is very little information indicating that the Russian occupation army is actively preparing for offensive actions in the area of Robotyne. The Russian forces are actively transporting military equipment and machinery to the port of Mariupol, aiming to supply their troop contingent in the south fully. I believe that shortly, they will start active hostilities in the south of Zaporizhzhia region and possibly in the southeastern part of Donetsk region," Selezniov stated.

According to him, the Russian army is reinforcing its forces in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine.

"Currently, it is crucial to mobilize our reserves and resources. Therefore, alongside ongoing events in the north of the Kharkiv region, Russia intends to leverage its numerical and technical superiority in southern Ukraine. This is the task Putin is demanding from his generals. Recently, he indicated readiness to negotiate with Ukraine if Kyiv gave up control of Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk, Luhansk, and Kherson regions. However, even under such circumstances, Putin is unlikely to honor any agreements," he added.

• On June 14, the first Russian tanker has entered the port of Mariupol since the beginning of the Russian occupation of the city in spring 2022.

• On June 21, the second Russian tanker in a week was spotted arriving in the port of temporarily occupied Mariupol, Donetsk region.