Ukrainian intelligence learns when Russia plans to launch major new offensive

This is reported by Delfi. 

“Spring and early summer will be decisive in the war. If the big Russian offensive planned for this time fails, it will be the downfall of Russia and Putin,” Skibitskyi said.

He added that tough and decisive battles await the Donetsk and Luhansk regions.

At the same time, the colonel of the Main Intelligence Directorate called a new attack by the Russians on Kyiv through Belarus unlikely, as well as active hostilities in the south of Ukraine, where the Russians are more concerned about the protection of the occupied Crimea.

“When spring and the beginning of summer are behind us, maybe we can start talking about the end of the war,” Skibitskyi said.

According to him, it is too early to say whether the war will end in 2023.

“We cannot look far yet, we must pass the first stage — spring and early summer. We see what this war is leading to: the Russian military leadership has changed, the first stage of mobilization is over, the Russian army is regrouping. Our assessment is simple: the main activity of the Russian army will be deployed in the Donetsk and Luhansk directions,” Skibitskyi said.

He emphasized that the Russians were unable to fulfill their main task and completely occupy the Donetsk and Luhansk regions.

“In February-March, there will be battles for these regions. The Russians will try to take control of Kupiansk, Svatove, and Kreminna in the direction of the Kharkiv region. The main battlefield will be in the Donbass, and this is confirmed by the battles for Bakhmut and Soledar,” the representative of the Main Intelligence Directorate said. 

• On January 16, Ukrainian intelligence reported that Russian dictator Vladimir Putin had set the new commander of the military group in Ukraine, Valery Gerasimov, the task of capturing Donbas by March 2023.