Russian troops will hold frontline initiative until March — military expert Stupak

Ivan Stupak, a military expert and employee of the Security Service of Ukraine (2004-2015), shared his opinions with Espreso TV.

"I think the Russians will hold the initiative at the front until March and try to break through. The offensive on Kharkiv is just a rumor, but there really is a Russian group and a tank army in the Kharkiv region. Theoretically, the occupiers retain combat capability and may try to break through Kupyansk-Lyman. But the Ukrainian military command is building several lines of fortifications," he noted.

Stupak said that the Kherson region is a great prospect for Ukraine, but it depends on many factors.

"Currently, our advantage lies in the air, primarily due to the effective use of drones. After losing 5 ports in just 48 hours last year, Russian aviation has significantly reduced its presence in the region," he said.

Today, the Ukrainian army can keep Russian forces at bay, repel attacks, and "meat grinder" style assaults. However, Ukraine has no forces to advance, the military expert said.

"We can hold back the Russians, but not attack. We have to save ammunition. Artillery is working as little as possible," he added.

• At the end of December 2023, the head of the Kharkiv Regional Military Administration, Oleh Syniehubov, said that the main goal of Russian forces was to take control of Kupyansk-Vuzlovyi.
• On January 5, the head of the Kharkiv Regional Military Administration said that no concentrations of Russian military units capable of attacking Kharkiv have been recorded near the border with Ukraine.
• Denys Popovych, a military observer, noted that the Russian group of troops from Belgorod has about 12,000 personnel, less than 100 tanks, and over 300 different artillery systems, which is not enough to storm the city of Kharkiv, a city with a population of one million.