Ukrainian President Zelenskyy tells Fox News Russian offensive has already started

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Thursday that he believes Russia has launched an earlier anticipated offensive, but added that it is a “complex” situation.

“The situation on the frontline is complicated,” he said in an interview with Fox News’ Trey Yingst. “Russia is preparing for a rematch. We can feel it.”

Zelensky said, “I believe it has already started or not fully happened. We will see it in the coming weeks.”

Ukrainian soldiers are seen on armored military vehicles as the assault continues on the Donbass frontline in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine, January 24, 2023.
(Mustafa Ciftci / Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

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Defense officials are warning that Russia is preparing a major offensive in an attempt to turn the tide in the war in Ukraine after months of failing to make any major progress and losing territory starting in September with the liberation of Kharkiv. planning.

Details on the offensive are unclear and fighting in the Donbass and Kherson has remained relatively constant for weeks, with no major increases or progress on either side.

But even as the war neared the one-year mark, Zelensky said morale remained high among soldiers and civilians alike.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky meeting with soldiers at the site of the heaviest fighting with the Russian invaders in Bakhmut, Ukraine, December 20, 2022.
(Ukrainian Presidential Press Office via AP)

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He told Fox News, “We’ve had this war for over a year and people are tired. But yet our soldiers have this resilience.” “Having flexibility is important. Among people, it’s a high level of morale.”

Western defense officials are working to deliver defensive aid to Ukraine, and hundreds of tanks Kyiv has long sought have been promised by several countries, including the United States.

Ukrainian soldiers work with “Pion” artillery on the northern side of the Donbass frontline during the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war in Donetsk, Ukraine, January 7, 2023.
(Diego Herrera Carcedo / Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

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However, top defensive equipment such as tanks and Patriot missile battery systems are expected to take months to be deployed on Ukraine’s front line – well beyond the point when Russia is expected to attack Ukraine with renewed vigour. .

But Zelensky says his troops are prepared and Ukraine has a plan to counter Russia’s invasion, though details on defensive strategy are limited.