Preparation for the offensive: the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation accumulate forces on the border with Sumy and Kharkiv regions - ISW

According to experts, the invaders concentrate forces in the west of the Belgorod region near the border with Ukraine, to fix and delay the Ukrainian forces into the area in the framework of preparation for offensive operations. The Russian army is accumulating its sitting in the border area with Kharkiv and Sumy regions to delay and consolidate Ukrainian forces near the border. This is discussed in the new construction of experts of the Institute of War Study (ISW).

It is noted that in the west of the Belgorod region near the border with Ukraine there is a concentration of Russian forces in an unknown number. Most likely, the purpose of such actions is to fix and delay the Ukrainian forces into the area and prepare for offensive operations, which should expand the Russian bridgehead in the border area in the northeast of Ukraine.

In his statement on May 26, the head of state said that the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation were preparing for new offensive forces and concentrating a group of indefinite size near the Ukrainian border 90 kilometers to the northwest of Kharkiv. According to analysts, Zelensky referred to the area of ​​Grayvoron-Boryivka-Proletarsky in the west of the Belgorod region.

At the same time, the images of a satellite from this area indicate that during the last weeks the enemy's army has intensified its activities on bases and warehouses in the settlements of the area. However, as of now, the exact size of the possible concentration of Russian troops in the Grayvoron-Boryivka-Proletarsky area remains unclear.

On the eve of the speaker of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine Andriy Demchenko announced the possibility of starting offensive operations of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation in Sumy region or in the areas of Kharkiv region, which borders with the Sumy region to stretch and secure Ukrainian forces further along the border in the northeastern Ukraine. In addition, the Russian army concentrates limited forces in Kursk and Bryansk regions near the border with the Sumy region.

Therefore, even limited concentration in these areas can be aimed at achieving the probable desired effect of further delaying and consolidation of Ukrainian forces in the border. We will remind, on May 26 the head of the Center for Combating Misinformation (CPD) Andriy Kovalenko stated that massive blows of the Russian Federation on Kharkiv should be considered a clear hint of the President of the Russian Federation to freeze the war and forced Ukraine to go into negotiations.