Russia's Spring offensive has begun, Ukraine says - here's why it won’t work

Russia is said to have massed more than 67,000 troops on the Sumy-Kursk border, in a troop buildup that Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky warned Could herald a Russian Spring Offensive.

His Commander-in-Chief, Gen Oleksandr Syrskyi, says it has already begun.

But how realistic is it to think Russia can mount any sort of offensive? It’s certainly a tall order for the Russians, having failed to take Sumy at the onset of the full-scale invasion, with the city since then transformed into a well-fortified, entrenched military hub. But they are still close, as the massacre of civilians on Palm Sunday showed.

For this to work in Putin’s favour, his forces would have to have a really good day at the office and Ukraine’s would have to have a really bad one. President Zelensky and General Syrskyi know a thrust through Sumy oblast could quickly threaten the capital.

Have they done enough to defend against whatever force Putin seems determined to throw against it? We may soon find out.

Read more: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/

#defence #ukraine #russia