Russians may retry offensive on northern Ukraine, considering past mistakes - military

Serhiy Kryvonos, reserve major, former first deputy commander of Ukraine's Special Operations Forces (2016-2019), and deputy secretary of the National Security and Defense Council (2019-2020), expressed this opinion on Espreso. 

When asked about the potential for Russian invaders to launch another attack on the Sumy and Chernihiv regions, Kryvonos responded: "There is such a threat, and they might try to replicate their approach from February-March 2022. However, they'll likely strive to avoid repeating past mistakes."

The reserve major emphasized that Ukrainians should focus on what the government is doing to bolster defense capabilities. This includes preparing reserves, adjusting the economy to wartime financing conditions, and fortifying the region.

"We can see some shortcomings in government positions. People are unsure how to address the threats, and the lack of clarity calls for the establishment of a national emergency government. The current actions of the authorities resemble pulling a short blanket: covering the head leaves the feet exposed, and vice versa," he concluded.

Background

On April 2nd, Belarus's self-proclaimed president, Alexander Lukashenko, declared his country's readiness for war, citing ongoing defense preparations. Concurrently, territorial defense exercises commenced in regions bordering Ukraine, Lithuania, and Poland.

Ukrainian Air Force spokesperson Ilya Yevlash warned of the potential for air attacks from Belarus.

Journalist Oleksiy Maslov sought to reassure the public, downplaying the threat from Belarus and stressing the importance of an unbiased assessment of military activities.

Notably, on April 17th, the Russian occupation army launched rockets into Ukrainian territory. Acting Mayor Oleksandr Lomako of Chernihiv reported 17 fatalities and 78 injuries, with over 40 hospitalized.