To date, Russian troops do not have such forces and means to reproduce such a large-scale offensive against Ukraine, which took place on February 24. However, the occupiers will try to create such an illusion.
At the same time, Russia concentrated the most combat-ready grouping of troops in the Kryvyi Rih direction.
Military expert Oleg Zhdanov spoke about this in an interview with TV presenter Natalya Moseychuk, commenting on the statements of the Russian invaders with threats to "repeat February 24".
"In my opinion, there are no such forces and means (the Russian army has - ed.) to reproduce February 24. But they will try to create the illusion of a full-scale offensive," the expert said.
“The main blow, most likely, and it was precisely such a combat-ready grouping of troops that they concentrated in the Kryvyi Rih direction. Airborne units were assembled there. Some of the troops that arrived from Russia, from the Crimea through the Crimean bridge, were assembled there. They slightly reduced but left advantage in Donetsk direction and today it is the hottest point: Peski, Avdiivka, Bakhmut," Zhdanov informed.
According to him, there is a risk that the invaders' troops will strike from two sides at once in the Kharkiv direction.
"The Kharkiv direction - they have the 144th Panzer Division there, it is in the second echelon as a reserve. Well, if you believe British intelligence, they say that the Russian command can turn around 180 degrees the grouping of troops that they created in near Izyum, and through Balakleya go to Kharkiv, and strike from two sides," the military expert said.
He also said that Russian troops might not even go to Kryvyi Rih, but to Nikopol and further along the Dnieper.
"What do we have from the analysis? The Kharkiv direction is a strike from two sides: from Balakliya and from the border; the Donetsk direction is an attempt to strike at Peski, Avdeevka, Bakhmut and the southern direction - either on Kryvyi Rih or on Mykolaiv. Today it was said there that not even to Kryvyi Rih, but will go to Nikopol and further along the Dnieper," Zhdanov said.
At the same time, he assured the invaders' forces are not enough for such large-scale actions.
“Therefore, I think that it will be an imitation, like reconnaissance in force: the task of a small group of people is to identify all enemy firing points and force them to open fire from all means. Thus, they will provoke us to large-scale resistance, and then, when they run out of forces, they will offer us negotiations," the expert predicts.
