
Russia expected to focus summer offensive on Donetsk region, says military expert
The fighting in Sumy and Zaporizhzhia regions remains on a smaller scale compared to Russian operations in Donetsk. As a result, the heaviest battles this summer are expected to unfold in the Donetsk region
Vladyslav Seleznov, military expert, reserve colonel with the Ukrainian Navy, and former spokesperson for the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces (2014–2017) shared his opinions on Espreso TV.
"War is an entirely rational affair, so our assumptions must be based on specific intelligence. Given that current battlefield transparency extends 10–20 km from the line of contact, any Russian actions above the tactical level are always detected by our intelligence. As for Russia’s resources, I’ve heard about 640,000 personnel in the Russian army involved in the so-called 'special military operation.' But even this force is insufficient for Russia to simultaneously launch an operational-level offensive on more than one front," the military expert noted.
According to him, there is activity on the battlefield in the area of the Pokrovsk-Myrnohrad urban agglomeration, and Russian attacks are also taking place in the Sumy region and southern Zaporizhzhia region. However, the scale of combat in Sumy and Zaporizhzhia is significantly smaller compared to developments in the Donetsk region.
"Most likely, the key frontline sector where fierce battles will take place during Russia’s summer offensive campaign is the Donetsk region. What bothers the Russians is the fact that they have been waging a full-scale war for four years, yet they still haven’t achieved the first objective for which the 'special military operation' was launched in February 2022 — the complete occupation of the Donetsk region. The urban agglomeration (Sloviansk, Kramatorsk, Kostiantynivka, and Druzhkivka) remains under firm control of Ukrainian forces, who are systematically and methodically destroying Russia’s offensive potential. Russian invaders will not be able to realize their plan in the foreseeable future," Seleznov concluded.
- The General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces reported that 146 combat clashes had been recorded on the Russian-Ukrainian front over the course of June 1. The Ukrainian Defense Forces are holding the line in 10 directions.
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