CNN reported this with reference to US and Western officials.
On May 9, Putin will use the propaganda value of 'Victory Day', which commemorates the Russians' defeat of the Nazis in 1945, and announce either some military achievement in Ukraine, or an increase in the escalation of hostilities, or both.
Officials are considering a scenario in which Putin formally declares war on Ukraine on May 9.
Earlier, British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace suggested that Putin could declare war on May 1.
According to other assumptions, Russia may use May 9 to announce the annexation of the so-called "DPR" and "LPR", complete control over Mariupol and strengthen the offensive against Odesa.
US Ambassador to the OSCE Michael Carpenter said on Monday that the US has "highly credible" intelligence reports that Russia will attempt to annex Luhansk and Donetsk "sometime in mid-May."
Also, Russia may be planning to proclaim a "people's republic" in Kherson.
US State Department spokesman Ned Price said on Monday that there are "good reason to believe that the Russians will do everything they can to use" May 9 for propaganda purposes.
"We've seen the Russians really double down on their propaganda efforts, probably, almost certainly, as a means to distract from their tactical and strategic failures on the battlefield in Ukraine," Price said at a State Department briefing.
Price added that he had "seen the speculation that Russia may formally declare war" on May 9 and said "that would be a great irony if Moscow used the occasion of 'Victory Day' to declare war."
This allowed the Russian Federation to increase the number of conscripts, which it cannot do now.
In this way, they (the Russians - ed.) would show the world that their military efforts are failing, that they are entangled in their military campaign and military goals.