Russian Official Predicts Where Ukraine Will Launch Next Counterattack

A Russian official reportedly spoke about where Ukraine could launch its next counterattack against Russian forces amid the ongoing war between the two countries.

While speaking with the Russian state-run news agency RIA Novosti, Leonid Pasechnik, the acting head of the Luhansk People’s Republic in Eastern Ukraine, said that Ukrainian troops have built up enough forces to launch a counterattack in the region.

“The situation is certainly very difficult,” Pasechnik said, according to the Russian state-run news agency Pravda.

Last February 24, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the “special military operation” in Ukraine, which sparked intense fighting between the two nations. In October, Putin announced the illegal annexation of four Ukrainian regions—Luhansk People’s Republic, the Donetsk People’s Republic, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia—claiming that they belonged to Russia.

In a tweet on Wednesday, Serhiy Hayday, who serves as the Ukrainian head of the Luhansk region, wrote that “In #Kreminna direction – maximum escalation, occupiers are trying to break through our defense line #LuhanskOblast.”

Prior to his tweet, Hayday told the Russian news outlet Vot Tak that Russian forces were moving “towards our direction” warning of a possible attack.

“Probably the minimum they need is 10 days to gather the reserves,” Hayday said.

During a recent press conference, Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov said his nation expects a Russian offensive on the February 24 anniversary of the invasion.

“We still, of course, expect possible offensives from the Russians, because it’s February, they like symbolism. February 24 will be a year since this invasion began, the open stage of the Ukrainian-Russian war, which began in 2014,” Reznikov said.

“That’s why we expect this pressure. We are ready, the Armed Forces are ready, the Staff of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief is constantly monitoring, so there are no unexpected things for you and me.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also warned of a possible Russian attack in the coming days.

“Now Russia is concentrating its forces. We all know that. It is preparing to try to take revenge, not only against Ukraine, but against a free Europe and the free world,” Zelensky said at a recent press conference, the Kyiv Post reported.

This week, Davyd Arakhamia, the leader of the Servant of the People Party in Ukraine, announced that Reznikov was being moved from his post as the minister of defense.

“Oleksiy Reznikov is being transferred within the government to the position of minister for strategic industries to strengthen military-industrial co-operation, which is absolutely logical, given his expertise,” Arakhamia said in a post to his Telegram channel.

Newsweek reached out to the ministry of foreign affairs in Ukraine and Russia for comment.