The move could delay peace talks, giving Russian leader Vladimir Putin leverage to seize more territory.
With spring approaching, the Kremlin is preparing to assault multiple sections of the front, potentially stretching over 1,000 kilometers.
“They are preparing offensive actions on the front that should last from six to nine months, almost all of 2025,” said Oleksii Hetman, a Ukrainian military analyst linked to the General Staff.
Potential targets include Sumy, Kharkiv, and Zaporizhzhya oblasts.
Some commanders suggest Russia may redirect troops from Kursk Oblast, where they’ve seen recent success.
“It will be hard. The forces from Kursk will come on a high from their wins there,” said an anonymous Ukrainian commander in Donetsk Oblast.
A soldier, call sign “Italian,” added that Russia is intensifying reconnaissance, targeting Ukrainian fire positions and drones to pave the way for the assault.
“These can be all signs that an attack is being prepared in the near future,” said Hetman.
Military bloggers report Russia has already begun advancing west from Orikhiv toward Zaporizhzhya.
Meanwhile, U.S.-Russia talks show little progress, AP writes. Russia rejected a U.S. 30-day ceasefire proposal, agreeing only to a partial Black Sea shipping truce contingent on reconnecting Rosselkhozbank to SWIFT—a demand Ukraine and the EU dismissed.
“No one believes in [the talks],” Italian said, hoping for a shift in the conflict’s dynamics.
“Everyone is waiting for some changes in the combat zone because it is not good for us now.”
Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov said earlier that Ukrainian forces in Kursk Oblast have redeployed to stronger defensive lines.
On March 28, he confirmed that Ukrainian forces were physically present in Kursk Oblast, noting that measures had been taken to disperse Russian troops just below Kursk Oblast to prevent them from invading Sumy Oblast.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned that Russia is preparing an offensive within the next two months, focusing on Sumy and Kharkiv oblasts.