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Sumy, Kharkiv must be ready: retired major on possible Russian army offensive

Kate Kikot
16 May, 2025 Friday
21:50

Ihor Lapin, a retired major of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, noted that during the operation in the Kursk region, the enemy amassed approximately 67,000 personnel

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He shared this during a broadcast on Espreso TV.

"Russian troops will definitely continue their offensive actions. We have to admit that the Kursk operation has failed — we didn't manage to create a buffer zone. During this time, the enemy has indeed built up about 67,000 troops in that area, and they will be used. Those Russian soldiers weren’t gathered there just to sit and freeze. There's a likely scenario unfolding, so Sumy and Kharkiv must be prepared," the retired major said.

According to him, Russia's mobilization campaign is currently going very well: they've raised contract bonuses to $50,000 and inflated an information bubble that the war will soon end — as a result, many low-income Russians have rushed to sign contracts.

"Through this propaganda, the Russians have reportedly managed to recruit around 150,000 additional servicemen. And what about our mobilization? After all, President Zelenskyy is primarily responsible for mobilization in the country, followed by the National Security and Defense Council, then the government, local authorities, and the police. Only at the very end — in terms of processing paperwork — comes the Territorial Recruitment Centers (TRCs). But we've done it exactly the other way around, which is why we'll face a shortage of personnel in the military, and the front will begin to crack," Ihor Lapin concluded.

  • Earlier, Kordon.Media journalist Aliona Yatsyna reported that the distance from the line of combat engagement to the center of Sumy is just 25 kilometers.

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