Russia will not be ready for a new offensive in Ukraine until May

Russia will only be able to restore its depleted forces in Ukraine to the point where they are ready to launch a new large-scale offensive by May. This was reported by CNN, citing its sources among the US military.

Despite the increase in the number of Russian troops in the occupied territories of Ukraine and near them, Kyiv's Western allies do not see an increase in the combat power of these units.

One of the channel's interlocutors said that Russia's intentions to launch a large-scale offensive now are "more of a wish than real plans."

A similar assessment is made in London. A British official noted that it is unlikely that the Russian military will be able to increase the level of interaction and therefore "Russia is unlikely to make any serious progress."

A senior U.S. military official said that the U.S. military estimates that the Russian Defense Ministry will need until May to restore its troops to a state that allows it to launch an offensive. Nevertheless, the Russian army may launch an offensive earlier due to the pressure exerted on the military.

The Ukrainian diplomat believes that if the Russian offensive starts now, the army will have enough strength to "take one or two small towns in Donbas."

Author - Serhii Kolomiets, 16/02/2023