Russia Has Not Abandoned Plans for an Offensive Toward Chernihiv and Kyiv Regions

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Russia has not eliminated the theoretical possibility of launching an offensive from the Bryansk region towards the Chernihiv and Kyiv regions. However, no Russian forces have been spotted in that direction as of now. During an interview with journalists, Zelenskyy elaborated on Russian President Vladimir Putin's primary focus on the front, which remains the Kostiantynivka-Sloviansk area.

He mentioned that his generals were tasked with completing the occupation of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions by the end of the year, a goal that seems unattainable. Ukrainian President Zelenskyy responded to reporters' inquiries by suggesting that if the Russian forces were to succeed in eastern Ukraine, Moscow might redirect its troops to other directions.

He indicated that the 300,000 newly mobilized troops could be reallocated based on the situation in the east of Ukraine. Zelenskyy speculated that if the Russian forces achieve their desired outcomes, they could potentially shift their attention towards a buffer zone or even the Chernihiv-Kyiv direction. The Ukrainian president emphasized that his country is closely monitoring the situation.

According to Zelenskyy, there is currently no Russian troop presence in the Bryansk region, but there are reports of equipment along the border with Russia. Earlier, in May, Zelenskyy reported that Russia had increased its contacts with Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko to persuade Belarus to join Russia in new aggressive operations.

These operations could potentially target either the Chernihiv and Kyiv regions or one of the NATO member states.