UKRAINE, KHARKIV OBLAST, Apr 11 — Russia may intensify its offensive in Kupiansk direction in April and May, the deputy head of Ukraine’s Presidential Office, Pavlo Palisa, said in an interview with Reuters.

Previously, Oleksandr Syrskyi, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, reported that the Russian army had already started its spring offensive in the Sumy and Kharkiv directions.

In Palisa’s opinion, Russian troops concentrate their resources near Pokrovsk city, but they can also intensify the assaults on Kupiansk, Lyman, Zaporizhzhia, and Novopavlivka axes. He emphasized the importance of security guarantees from Kyiv’s U.S. and European partners to help deter Russian offense.

Reuters journalists said that Ukraine is uncertain about future military help from the USA and the ways the lack of it could impact the supply of missiles for anti-aircraft warfare and artillery systems such as Patriot, HIMARS, and ATACMS, which Ukraine needs for defense of its territory.

In April, Palisa said that Ukraine had not yet discussed additional support from the US. Kyiv may raise this issue soon because ceasefire negotiations proceed.

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