Ukrainian Ground Forces commander alleges Kremlin 2024 blueprint calls for seizing Kharkiv, Sumy

The commander of the Ground Forces of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Oleksandr Pavliuk confirmed Russia's intentions to seize Kharkiv and Sumy during an interview with The Times.

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"Our special services say that the Russians really have a plan to take Kharkiv or Sumy, but we do not know how serious these plans are and whether they are able to implement them with the forces they have at their disposal," Pavliuk said.

Earlier, the representative of the Defense Intelligence, Vadym Skibitskyi, named the number of the Russian ground forces, part of which Moscow is concentrating near Kharkiv.

According to the commander of the Ground Forces, Russia's main goal is to destroy the Ukrainian nation, but "we have not given them such an opportunity since 2022."

"That's why, in our opinion, the real goals they set for themselves are the occupation of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts, and, in case of success, Zaporizhzhia Oblast," Pavliuk said.

Earlier, the mayor of Kharkiv Ihor Terekhov said that it does not matter whether Russia is preparing a new attack on the city. In an interview with LIGA.net, he said that it is much more important to understand how to fight back.

On April 13, 2024, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrskyi stated that the situation on the eastern front has significantly worsened primarily due to the significant intensification of offensive actions by the Russian troops after the "presidential elections" in Russia.

Forecasting the course of the war, Ukraine's spymaster Kyrylo Budanov said that a "pretty difficult" situation awaits Ukraine in the near future. In particular, there will be "problems" from mid-May.