KHARKIV, UKRAINE, JAN 10 — The Ukrainian military has not recorded any signs that Russia is preparing a large-scale offensive against Kharkiv.
Volodymyr Fitio, head of the public relations service of the Ukrainian Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, said during a telethon.
According to Fitio, Ukrainian forces are closely monitoring the movement of Russian troops on the northern border. However, no significant changes that would pose a threat to Kharkiv have been detected so far.
“We have not seen any important changes that pose a threat to Kharkiv. And you should understand that Kharkiv is an extremely large city. And they have already ‘taken’ Kharkiv once, if I’m not mistaken,” said Fitio.
Fitio noted that to prepare a new offensive, large-scale preparations are needed, which the Ukrainian army would have detect. So there is no reason to worry for now.
Read more: Russians Attacked Kharkiv: Details of the Strike
According to the head of the Kharkiv Regional Military Administration, Oleh Syniehubov, the Ukrainian military clearly understands that the Russian military has not abandoned its intention to return the lost territories during the Ukrainian counteroffensive in the fall of 2022. Russia has also not abandoned plans for a possible occupation of Kharkiv.
Earlier, the British outlet The Telegraph wrote that the Russian military could launch a ground offensive in the direction of Kharkiv on January 15. It noted that Moscow is stepping up its bombardment of the northeastern part of the region. The newspaper’s sources believe that Russia may intensify airstrikes over the weekend to match Russian Christmas on January 7.