UKRAINE, KHARKIV OBLAST, May 15 — The Ukrainian military sees an accumulation of force and activation of assaults from Russia, said Pavlo Shamshyn, spokesperson of the Operational Tactical Group “Kharkiv,” during a national telethon.

As Ukrainian and Russian officials prepare to potentially meet in Turkey, Russia is amassing forces on the frontlines for a possible new offensive intended to capture more Ukrainian territory, two US officials with knowledge of the latest US assessments told CNN.

“I think it’s obvious that they (Russia — ed.) are imitating the negotiations. We all see their delegates in Istanbul, some nonames. We all want peace, and no one wants peace more than the Ukrainian soldiers,” said Shamshyn.

Shamshyn stressed that the Ukrainian military sees that the Russians are accumulating forces, and in fact, that Moscow’s summer offensive campaign has begun.

“I wouldn’t count on any ceasefire in the near future. There wasn’t any ceasefire when Russians announced an “Easter” or “Victory Day” truce. Instead, they usually intensified their assaults, as we can see now,” said Shamshyn.

Over the past few days, Russian troops intensified their offensive near Lyptsi, a village north of Kharkiv.

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