Kyiv: Russian spring offensive has failed
In March, the Russian army once again failed to conduct an offensive in the Donbas, said Kyrylo Budanov, head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry, in an interview with NV.
"On March 31, 2023, another attempt at a Russian offensive failed. The so-called winter-spring. Officially. On March 31, they were supposed to reach the administrative borders of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions. This is not even the fifth failed attempt," Budanov said.
According to the head of the Main Intelligence Directorate, the Russian army does not yet have the potential to conduct a strategic offensive operation.
"And they won't have it anytime soon. Russia has switched to a strategic defense operation. Their task is to hold our occupied territories, disrupting our offensive operation to liberate them," Budanov said.
The exception, according to Budanov, is only in two areas. The Russians are trying to capture Bakhmut, as well as to envelope Avdiivka from the north, near Marinka.
According to Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Oleksiy Danilov, the command of the Ukrainian Armed Forces has several options for launching a counteroffensive, and it will be decided at the last moment which one to choose.