Military commander warns Moscow may again try to seize Kyiv after invading from Belarus in the north
with Sky News Kovalchuk said: “We foresee such options, such scenarios. We are preparing for it. We live with the thought that they will attack again. This is our task.”
His assessment arrives as many analysts agree that the 10-month war has reached another pivotal stage, with both sides fighting their way to a standstill, prompting Ukrainian military figures to implore the West for more weapons to regain the initiative. Their nerves are unlikely to have been helped by reports that the prime minister Rishi Sunak could be adopting an unduly cautious approach after having asked for an assessment of the war’s progress. Sunak’s request has reportedly prompted disquiet among some in Whitehall with military chiefs adamant that weapon supplies to Ukraine may prove decisive during the winter months ahead.
Last February Russian forces poured over the border from Belarus towards the capital of Ukraine, coming less than 20 miles from the centre of Kyiv. However the offensive stalled before Ukrainian forces launched a counter-offensive to drive the Russians away from the city and eventually over the border with Belarus.Photograph: Libkos/AP
Kovalchuk said Kyiv would be better prepared to fend off Putin’s troops in the event of a repeat scenario, adding “it will no longer be the case that they will simply walk in, as on 24 February.”
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