The same opinion is held by Ukrainian military experts. They believe that the Russians are afraid of further territorial losses in the south of Ukraine.
According to Ukrainian military intelligence, Russia may launch a new offensive, despite the lack of success on the front. The offensive is expected to begin on the eastern but also on the northern section of the front. Ukrainian military experts hold the same opinion. They believe that the Russians are afraid of further territorial losses in the south of Ukraine.
Andrii Chernyak, a representative of the Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, said that the Russians understand that they will lose, but do not plan to end the war. According to him, the Ukrainian army is preparing for further attacks in the east, but also in the north. Military expert Oleksandr Musienko holds a similar opinion. As he noted, the Russians can now concentrate their forces in the regions of Bryansk, Kursk, and Belgorod and from there try to attack the Kharkiv region again.
According to the expert, with such actions, as well as attacks on Donbas and maintaining tension on the border with Belarus, the Russians want to block Ukrainian forces and prevent a Ukrainian offensive in the south. The occupiers are doing this, first of all, to preserve the land corridor to Crimea.