A powerful defense system has been created around Kyiv from several lines, with a total length of about a thousand kilometers. The troops have enough forces and means to protect the capital.
The commander of the Forces and Means of Defense of Kyiv, Lieutenant General Oleksandr Pavlyuk told Suspilne about this.
According to him, there is currently no threat of a new offensive from Belarus. The Russians do not have sufficient forces for this. Now the Russians are trying to keep the Ukrainian forces near the northern border, so that they are not pushed to the east. The entire border with Belarus, says Pavlyuk, is a solid wasteland, a minefield. It takes a lot of effort to pass them.
"We are considering possible options for aggression in the coming months. But for this, it is necessary to transfer the appropriate forces and means, which Russia is now restoring on their training grounds. So far, we do not see such intentions, but we are preparing for them [...]. They should understand that we are ready to meet them and stop them at the borders," the lieutenant general noted.
He noted that the process of creating strike groups is long and will not go unnoticed. The movement of the Russian and Belarusian armies is constantly monitored, so the population will be warned about the danger in advance.
The Defense Forces of Ukraine now have enough strength. The units are replenished, but if there is another mobilization in the Russian Federation, then the Armed Forces of Ukraine will also be forced to select personnel.
On January 7, Ukrainian intelligence predicted the beginning of additional mobilization in Russia on January 15.
- The Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valerii Zaluzhnyi informed that the Russians are training approximately 200 000 new soldiers, and that he has no doubt that they will try to go to Kyiv a second time. The Minister of Defense Oleksiy Reznikov and the commander of the OC "South" also believe that Russia plans to launch another wave of offensive in February 2023.
- At the same time, the General Staff reported that there are half as many Russian troops near the Ukrainian borders as there were on February 24 at the beginning of the invasion.