putin plans new offensive in Ukraine in July or March despite losses – Bloomberg
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russian dictator vladimir putin is preparing a new offensive in Ukraine, despite huge losses, and at the same time preparing his country for a multi-year confrontation with the United States and its allies, Вloomberg reports.
"Nearly a year into an invasion that was supposed to take weeks, vladimir putin is preparing a new offensive in Ukraine, at the same time steeling his country for a conflict with the US and its allies that he expects to last for years," the report says.
The publication reports that the renewed offensive may start as soon as February or March, the people close to the kremlin said.
"Their comments confirm warnings from Ukraine and its allies that a new russian offensive is coming and suggest it may begin before Kyiv gets newly promised supplies of US and European battle tanks," Bloomberg says.
According to sources familiar with the situation, the kremlin wants to demonstrate that its troops can regain the initiative after months of losing ground and put pressure on Kyiv and its allies to agree to a truce that would leave the occupied territory under russian control.
The publication's sources say that putin is still convinced that the involvement of more troops and the readiness to accept new victims will allow russia to win, despite the failures it has experienced so far.
It is noted that a new round of mobilization in russia is possible already in the spring. At the same time, the kremlin is increasingly subordinating the economy and russian society to the needs of the war.
According to experts, putin is disappointed with how things are going but is not ready to give up on his goals, which means that the war will be longer, bloodier, and worse for everyone.
Meanwhile, US and European intelligence officials doubt that russia has the resources for a new large-scale offensive, even after mobilizing 300,000 people last fall.
Meanwhile, Ukraine's allies are ramping up arms shipments, preparing for the first delivery of armored vehicles and main battle tanks that could help Ukrainian forces break through russian defenses.
The publication notes that Ukraine is preparing to push back russian troops and liberate its territories.
Allies only fear that a new russian offensive may begin before Kyiv receives the promised supplies of American and European battle tanks.
It is also noted that the brutal and exhausting attacks of the russians in the east near such cities as Bakhmut exhausted the Ukrainian forces and did not allow them to conduct offensive operations in other directions.
In addition, after blitzkrieg attacks by Ukrainian forces in the summer and fall, the russian invaders strengthened their defenses, using trenches, tank traps, and mines, all of which could also slow down the potential advance of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
Despite this, the American publication emphasizes that the russian troops have not demonstrated the ability to quickly seize Ukrainian territories. In the last six months, the russians occupied only one small city, and that at the cost of huge losses.
Ukrainian troops, on the contrary, constantly surprise allies and observers with how successfully they repel attacks by invaders and return their territories.
However, American and European militaries feared that the war could soon devolve into a World War I-style artillery battle with near-continuous frontline fighting. And such a scenario, according to the publication, can be in favor of russia with its larger population and military industry.
