Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky On Thursday, he said he believed Russia had already launched an expected offensive in the east, but also noted that it was a “complex” situation.
“The situation on the front lines is complicated,” he said in a sit-down interview with Fox News’ Trey Ingst. “Russia is preparing for a rematch. You can feel it.”
“I think it’s already started or not fully started. We’ll find out soon enough,” Zelensky added.
Ukrainian soldiers in armored military vehicles during a strike on the Donbass front line in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine, January 24, 2023.
(Mustafa Ciftci/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
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Defense officials have warned that Russia is planning a major offensive in an attempt to turn the tide. war in ukraine After failing to make significant progress in several months and losing territory from September on the liberation of Kharkov.
Details of the attack remained unclear, and fighting in Donbass and Kherson remained relatively consistent over several weeks. No major escalations Or progress from either side.
But even as the war approaches its first year, Zelensky said morale among soldiers and civilians remains high.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky watches as he meets with soldiers at the site of the fiercest fighting against the Russian invaders on December 20, 2022 in Bakhmut, Ukraine.
(Ukrainian Presidential Press Office via AP)
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“We’ve had this war for over a year and people are exhausted. Yet our soldiers have this resilience,” he told Fox News. “It’s important to have resilience. There’s this high level of morale in between.”
Western defense officials are working to funnel defense aid into Ukraine, and the hundreds of tanks Kyiv has long sought have been promised by several countries, including the United States.
Ukrainian soldiers work with “Pion” guns on the northern front line of Donbass during the ongoing Russian-Ukrainian war in Donetsk, Ukraine, January 7, 2023.
(Diego Herrera Carcedo/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
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However, top defense aids like tanks and the Patriot Missile Battery System are expected to be months away from being ready for use on Ukraine’s front lines.
But Zelensky says his troops are ready and Ukraine has plans to counter a Russian attack, but details of its defensive strategy are limited.