Zelensky warns of an intensification of the Russian offensive in northeastern Ukraine

In an exclusive interview, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that Russia is likely to intensify its offensive in the northeast. He also stressed that Ukraine has only about a quarter of the necessary air defenses to maintain its front line.

After modest progress in recent months, Russian forces launched a surprise attack on the Kharkov region on May 10, resulting in the largest territorial gains in a year and a half. Zelensky noted that Russian forces managed to advance five to 10 kilometers along the northeastern border before being stopped by Ukrainian forces. However, he warned that this could be the “first wave” of a wider offensive.

Although Zelensky described the situation in the Kharkov region as “controlled,” he admitted that it has not yet been “stabilized.” He reiterated calls for allies to supply more air defense systems and fighter jets to counter Russia’s air superiority as the conflict enters its third year. “Currently we have about 25 percent of what we need for air defense,” he said, adding that Ukraine needs “120 to 130” F-16 fighter jets or similar aircraft to match Russia’s air force.

Regarding the attack on Kharkov, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated during a visit to China that the northeastern offensive was a response to Ukrainian shelling of border areas aimed at creating a “security zone.” According to data from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), Russian forces gained 278 square kilometers between May 9 and 15, marking their biggest gains since late 2022. Russia claimed to have captured another field on Saturday. village in the Kharkov region. Ukrainian forces are focused on preventing further Russian advances and nearly 10,000 people have been evacuated from the northeastern border area since the attack began.

There have been allegations from Ukrainian officials that Russian soldiers are using captured civilians in Vovchansk as “human shields” to protect their command headquarters, although AFP has not independently verified this claim.

Putin has indicated that there are currently no plans to take Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, about 30 kilometers from the border, where more than a million people live.

With no end in sight to the conflict, the Ukrainian army is facing recruitment challenges, with soldiers feeling exhausted and frustrated by the lack of rotation. Acknowledging personnel and morale problems within the Ukrainian armed forces, Zelenskiy signed a new mobilization law on Saturday. The law lowers the conscript age from 27 to 25 and imposes stricter penalties for evading military service. It is also streamlining the mobilization process by introducing an online registration system that had more than 150,000 registrations as of Saturday morning. A proposal that would allow soldiers who have served more than 36 months to be discharged has been scrapped.

In response to growing concern among Ukraine’s strongest allies, such as the Baltic states and Poland, about possible Russian aggression, Poland announced a $2.5 billion investment to strengthen its eastern border with Russia, Belarus and Ukraine. Despite pressure from some Western allies for a quick resolution to the war, Zelensky stressed that Ukraine is prepared for a long-term struggle. He urged allies to take a stronger stand against Russia, including by allowing Ukrainian forces to invade Russian territory with weapons supplied by the West. Zelensky criticized the current situation, in which he believes that the West is reluctant to let Russia lose the war, but also does not want Ukraine to be defeated.