Zelensky warned of a new Russian offensive

Volodymyr Zelensky, the president of Ukraine, stated that Moscow’s forces were gathering for a fresh ground offensive in the northeast one day after at least sixteen people were killed in what authorities claimed was a Russian missile strike on a hardware superstore in Kharkiv.

According to Zelensky, Russia is amassing soldiers close to the border and “preparing for offensive actions.” This month, the intensity of aircraft attacks against Kharkiv has sharply increased, forcing many people to escape. Just hours after the attack on the shop, a second strike struck business infrastructure on Saturday, injuring at least 25 people.

Far from the front lines, intelligence officers from the United States and its allies are observing a rise in low-level sabotage activities in Europe, which they claim are a component of a Russian effort to weaken support for Ukraine.

Targeting a variety of locations, such as an Ikea shop in Lithuania, a paint factory in Poland, a warehouse in England, and residences in Latvia, the majority of the clandestine operations have involved fire or attempted arson. A number of people have also been detained on suspicion of being Russian operatives who were planning assaults on American military installations.

This month, Russia’s president Vladimir Putin appointed new defense ministers—a move that hasn’t happened in almost a decade—and he also recently approved the arrest of senior officials for corruption. It is probably an indication that he is more optimistic about his chances of succeeding on the battlefield in Ukraine.