Russia is preparing another 200,000 new soldiers, I have no doubt that they will try again and march on Kiev,
says the Chief of Staff of the Ukrainian Army, General Valery Zlozhny.
In an interview with "The Economist", General Zlozhny said that the recruitment in Russia had done its job.
"It is not true that their problems are so severe, that the conscripts will not fight. They are. The tsar tells them to go to war, and they go to war. I studied the history of the two wars in Chechnya - it's the same story. They may not be well equipped, but still are a problem for us."
According to the Ukrainian chief of staff, Russia could attack as early as February, "at best in March, and at worst already in January", and the attack could begin not necessarily in the Donbass, where the Russians have been trying to erode the Ukrainian defense for months, but rather in the north, invading from Belarus towards Kyiv. Zeluzhny did not rule out the southern arena either.
Yesterday, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kolba said that Russia is planning another large-scale attack in January-February, while the adviser to the president's chief of staff, Oleksiy Arstovich, added that there are signs that Russia is stockpiling forces for this purpose.
Zaluzheny's statements to "The Economist" are the most explicit so far on the subject.
Meanwhile, the Russians are bombing Ukraine and pressing into the Donbass to exhaust the defending army and buy time to prepare for a renewed strike.
"Just like during World War II, I have no doubt that somewhere, most likely beyond the Ural Mountains, they are preparing new resources," said Zaluzheny, "They are producing ammunition - maybe not very good, but still. These will not be the resources they could have obtained In two years of a ceasefire."
Cemetery of Russian ammunition near Kharkiv.
"More is being prepared", photo: Reuters
According to the estimates in the Ukrainian army, the Russian recruitment potential is 1.2-1.5 million people.
"The quality will be poor, the combat potential is very, very low, and even if (Putin) raises another million to throw corpses at us, as (Soviet Marshal) Zhukov did (in World War II), he will not achieve the hoped-for result."
According to him, Ukraine is already recruiting.
"I have enough people, I won't need hundreds of thousands more."
Ukrainian tanks near Bakhmot.
"We need another 300", photo: AFP
According to him, Ukraine needs 300 tanks, 600-700 anti-aircraft guns and 500 howitzers to reach the lines of February 23. "It is impossible to reach them with the two brigades I have.
With the existing means, it is impossible to manage large operations, although we are working on one operation now.
It's already being done, but you can't see it yet."
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