June 30 (Reuters) – Ukraine’s top military commander said in an interview broadcast on Tuesday that his forces were preparing for a possible new Russian attack from the north, but any attempt to advance on Kyiv was unlikely.
Oleksandr Syrskyi, interviewed on TSN Ukrainian television, also said an attack from neighbouring Belarus was unlikely after weeks of Ukrainian allegations that Moscow was trying to press its ally to play a greater role in the war.
“The most likely scenario, and this is confirmed by several data sources, is possible offensive action in the north from the territory of Russia, from the Bryansk region,” Syrskyi said.
“This is a realistic option, of course, and we are preparing for it.”
The aim of such an operation, he said, was not to try to move on Kyiv as Russian forces had attempted to do after their February 2022 invasion before withdrawing and focusing on the Donbas region in the east.
Instead, they would try to seize territory in Ukraine’s Chernihiv region and draw Ukrainian forces engaged elsewhere along the 1,250 km (775-mile) front line.
Such a strategy would amount to “stretching the front and depriving us of reserves”.
But Belarus, which allowed Russian President Vladimir Putin to use its territory in launching his initial push into Ukraine, was unlikely to agree to further involvement, he said. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has for weeks warned Belarus against embarking on such a venture.
“In view of recent events, I don’t think the Belarusian leadership would opt to use their own territory and give it to the aggressor to use as a staging area for an offensive operation,” Syrskyi said. “At the same time, of course, we are taking this possibility into account as well.”
Zelenskiy earlier this month gave Belarus, under veteran President Alexander Lukashenko, a week to dismantle relay stations Kyiv said were being used to attack Ukraine. Zelenskiy has since said the stations are no longer operating.
In his comments to the broadcaster, Syrskyi also said there were indications that Russian troops were exhausted and the intensity of front-line battles was declining.
He said Russian frontline activity had declined by 30% while Ukrainian forces pressed on with a campaign of long-range strikes against Russian targets, mainly linked to the oil industry.
(Reporting by Ron Popeski; Editing by Neil Fullick)
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