Military parade in Red Square in the center of the Russian capital, Moscow (Reuters)
The commander of the Ukrainian Ground Forces, Lieutenant-General Oleksandr Pavlik, said on Friday that Russia is preparing 100,000 soldiers that it may use in a possible new offensive campaign in Ukraine this summer, or to compensate for the shortage of depleted units.
Pavlik made his statements on Ukrainian television after the recent progress made by Russian forces in the east of the country, more than two years after the start of the Russian war on Ukraine.
"It will not necessarily be an attack. Perhaps they will work to replenish their units that have lost combat capabilities, but it is possible that at the beginning of the summer they will have certain forces to launch offensive operations," Pavlik said.
In an indication of the hardening of rhetoric in Russia, the Kremlin said on Friday that it now considers itself in a state of war because of what it described as Western intervention on the side of Ukraine.
The choice of words goes beyond the "special military operation" language that had been used until now, and this may represent part of a shift to prepare people psychologically for a new phase of war.
The Russian Defense Minister also said this week that Moscow would strengthen its forces by adding two new armies and 30 new formations by the end of this year.
Ukraine is facing an ammunition shortage that has been exacerbated by the stalling of a new aid package in the US Congress, but Kiev hopes to obtain sufficient ammunition next April thanks to a Czech-led initiative to provide artillery shells.
Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Ivan Havrylyuk said - in statements broadcast on television - that Russia has a superiority in ammunition over Ukraine by seven to one.
He added, "I think that within a month or two, this difference will shrink a lot, and there will not be such a large percentage in favor of the Russian Federation."
It is noteworthy that Russia has been waging war on Ukraine since February 24, 2022, following a large Russian military buildup in northern, eastern and southern Ukraine, after Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the launch of what he called a “special military operation in Ukraine.”
Source: Reuters