Vladimir Putin is planning a new offensive against Ukraine, despite previous failures on the battlefield, and is preparing the Russian population for a conflict that could drag on for years.
Bloomberg writes about this with reference to Russian officials familiar with the situation.
Putin cannot deny the weakness of the armed forces after his army lost half of the territories captured in the first weeks of the war, the agency’s interlocutors say. They say the Kremlin has become more realistic about military plans, recognizing that even holding the current front line would be an achievement.
Despite this, Putin remains convinced that Russia’s overwhelming power and its willingness to suffer its worst losses since World War II will allow it to prevail. Sources close to the Kremlin told Bloomberg that a new offensive could begin as early as February-March.
The president of the aggressor country is confident that he cannot lose in what he considers an “existential” conflict with the United States and its allies, the agency’s interlocutors say. They emphasize that a new wave of mobilization is possible in the spring.
Earlier we wrote that The situation near Bakhmut and Vugledar is very acute, Zelensky addressed the Ukrainians.