Ukrainian officer: Russia eyes border gains to twist Kyiv's arm at the table
Nation29 May 2025, 12:22 PM
The Third Separate Assault Brigade’s Deputy commander Maksym Zhorin urged treating Russian threat along the border in Kharkiv and Sumy oblasts with the utmost seriousness in his May 28 Telegram post.
Although the enemy lacks the capacity to capture entire oblasts, its goal is to advance as deeply as possible to gain additional leverage in negotiations.
Russia will “simply add two more oblasts to its agenda,” he said, stressing the importance of preemptive measures such as logistics preparation, road closures with anti-drone nets, and fortifications. These measures must take into account the reality of modern drone warfare.
"Don't just sit and wait for the enemy to reach a city."
Ukraine is preparing for a major Russian offensive this summer.
On May 27, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Russia was massing more than 50,000 troops along the Sumy axis.