Russia aims to build "bridge" between Bakhmut and Kharkiv to achieve war turning point - German general

Retired Bundeswehr lieutenant general and military expert Roland Kather said this in a comment to Ukrinform.

"The actions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces were successful, the Russian attack has now stopped, the offensive on Kharkiv has been stopped. Thus, this whole operation in the Kharkiv region was a great success," Kather said.

He noted that the West has allowed the use of Western weapons in certain parts of adjacent Russian territory where Russia concentrates its troops. This has given the Ukrainian Armed Forces a significant advantage. The expert added that Russian troops are not currently attempting to launch an offensive, but he did not rule out the possibility of them preparing for a new attempt in the future.

"However, I think the Ukrainian Armed Forces will find out in time whether a new offensive is planned, in particular, thanks to intelligence, including with the help of drones, and will be very well prepared for it," Kather said, adding that the same applies to possible plans for the Sumy region.

"Russia's goal, in his opinion, may be to build a 'bridge' between Bakhmut and Kharkiv and use it to turn the tide in the war. Ukraine's goal is to prevent this," the expert said.

He noted that amid increasing supplies of Western weapons, the problem of ammunition shortages has ceased to be the hottest topic at the moment.

"The decisive, most important topic is now air defense. And it is very important that Western nations work together to find ways to strengthen Ukraine's air defense," emphasized Kather.

Roland Kather is a retired lieutenant general of the Bundeswehr Army. From April to August 1996, Kather served as Chief of Staff of the German IFOR contingent in Trogir, Croatia. From December 1999 to June 2000, Brigadier General Kather served as Commander of the KFOR Multinational Brigade and was also Commander of the German forces in Prizren, Kosovo. In his last assignment, he was the German military representative to the NATO Military Committee and the European Union Military Committee (EUMC) in Brussels.