The President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky said that the offensive of Russian troops in the Kharkiv region could be the first wave of a larger offensive.
Zelensky said this in an interview with AFP, which is quoted by Yahoo.
"The Russians have started their operation, it may consist of several waves. And this is their first wave. But after this first wave, the situation is under control," Zelensky said.
The president emphasized that Russia does not have enough forces for a full-scale attack on Kyiv, as it was at the beginning of the invasion. However, Russia may try to attack Kharkiv. although he understands that it will be "very difficult". Zelensky said that Russian troops penetrated 5-10 kilometers along the northeastern border before being stopped by Ukrainian forces.
"I will not say that this is a great success. We must be sober and understand that the Russians are going deep into our territory. And not vice versa. And thatʼs still their advantage," Zelensky said.
Against this background, Zelensky said that Ukraine and Western allies should not show weakness, and called for the deployment of two Patriot batteries to protect the skies over the Kharkiv region and show Ukraineʼs resilience.
"They [the Russians] are like a beast... If they sense any weakness in this direction, they will press," Zelensky explained.
At the same time, Zelensky pointed out the existence of problems with morale in the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the lack of the number of Ukrainian soldiers.
"We need to replenish the reserves. Among the existing brigades, "a large part is empty. We need to fix this so that the guys have a normal rotation. Then their morale will improve," Zelensky explained.
In addition, the Russian Federation now has air superiority, which limits Ukraineʼs ability to defend cities and hold the front line. The President of Ukraine explained that for parity with Russia in the air, Ukraine needs about 120-130 F-16 fighters or other modern aircraft. Air defense is also important — now Ukraine has only 25% of air defense systems of the required volume for protection.
Zelensky also criticized the West for banning Ukraine from using weapons provided by Europe and the United States for strikes on Russian territory.
"They can hit us from their territory — thatʼs the biggest advantage that Russia has, and we canʼt do anything about their [weapons] systems located on Russian territory with Western weapons," Zelensky emphasized.
Russian offensive on Kharkiv region
On the morning of May 10, Russia launched a new offensive in the Kharkiv region, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky announced. He emphasized that the Defense Forces knew about the plans of the occupiers in the region and were preparing a counterattack. Later, the General Staff of the Armed Forces reported that the occupiers "wedged themselves into the defense." The operational environment remains complex and dynamically changing.
On the morning of May 16, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine announced that the Defense Forces of Ukraine stopped the advance of the Russian invaders in the Kharkiv region and thwarted their plans to gain a foothold in Vovchansk. Fighting continues within the urban development in the north of Vovchansk.