Putin prepares new summer offensive: aim to break Ukraine and negotiate from a position of strength

According to Ukrainian intelligence, Moscow aims for a military breakthrough to condition any negotiations. Kiev denounces halt to crucial aid from the US

Vladimir Putin is preparing to launch a new large-scale offensive to “break” Ukraine and attempt to force a breakthrough in the conflict that has been ongoing for more than three years. According to reports in The Economist, based on Ukrainian intelligence sources, the Russian military is planning a wide-ranging summer operation to seize strategic positions and strengthen its advantage in view of future truce negotiations.

The first signs of military intensification are seen in the Dnipropetrovsk region on the border with Donetsk: an area not formally claimed by Moscow, but now the scene of intensified attacks. The area is crucial for the Ukrainian economy, especially for mining and industry.

Eastern and northern fronts under pressure

Russian forces are particularly targeting Konstantinovka and Pokrovsk, towns in Donetsk of great strategic and logistical value. According to Kiev, these locations could serve as a springboard for further offensives towards the west. Meanwhile, in the north-east, Russian troops maintain active pressure in the Sumy oblast, with slow but continuous movements. The aim, in this sector, would be to create a buffer zone to hinder Ukrainian drone raids on Russian territory.

Once the positions in Sumy have been consolidated, the Russian strategy would involve moving the bulk of the forces southwards, to the hot fronts of the Donbass and Zaporizhzhia.

Kiev alarm: ‘US aid diverted, situation is critical’

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, in an interview with ABC News, raised the alarm: 20,000 anti-drone missiles, designed to counter Iranian-made Shahed, were allegedly diverted by the Trump administration to US forces deployed in the Middle East. “We have big problems with Shahed drones, and those missiles were critical. They are simple, inexpensive, but effective,’ Zelensky said, adding that the agreement for the supply had been reached with then Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin.

The Ukrainian president also expressed concern about the position of the current US administration: “If aid stops, the chances of victory for Russia will increase and we will suffer heavy losses”.

Finally, Zelensky commented on rumours that Donald Trump, now president, believes Putin is winning the war: ‘I know he has told people in his circle. But it is not a victory if you have to sacrifice a million men to advance a few kilometres’.

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(Photo: © AndKronos)