Amid a growing threat from Belarus, Ukraine’s Armed Forces (AFU) are planning to form new brigades to ensure they can repel a potential offensive, according to AFU’s Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrsky.
Syrsky told local media LIGA.net on Thursday that Russian forces, having failed to achieve decisive success on the main fronts, are now seeking to expand active combat operations in northern Ukraine.
JOIN US ON TELEGRAM
Follow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official.
According to him, Moscow’s plan could increase the active frontline by approximately 160 kilometers (99 miles).
Russia currently maintains an advantage in manpower and weaponry, making the formation of additional Ukrainian brigades necessary to defend vulnerable areas.
“The enemy has adjusted its plans and intends to create new divisions and five brigades this year. We are forced to respond to such actions. In war, you either seize the initiative or surrender it. There is no third option,” he said.
Responding to questions about why Ukraine is creating new brigades instead of simply reinforcing existing ones, Syrsky said expanding brigade size would not solve the problem of frontline coverage.
According to him, a brigade “cannot be stretched.” While increasing personnel may extend a brigade’s combat endurance, allowing it to hold positions for longer, it does not enable it to control a larger area.
Syrsky said the nature of the war has changed, with the frontline now expanding not only in width but also in depth.
Lukashenko Resists Kremlin Pressure to Open New Front Against Ukraine
“When the front grows in width and depth, the arithmetic is inexorable: New military units are needed,” he added.
Pressured cooperation
Russian President Vladimir Putin is increasing pressure on Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko to deepen Belarus’s involvement in Russia’s war against Ukraine, according to the latest assessment by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).
Citing The Wall Street Journal, the ISW said the Kremlin wants Belarus to allow more Russian military activity from its territory, including drone launches against Ukraine and actions aimed at forcing Kyiv to redeploy troops to the Belarusian border.
Moscow is reportedly using financial pressure to push Minsk toward greater cooperation. Despite this, the ISW said Lukashenko continues resisting full military involvement while trying to preserve Kremlin support.
The think tank said Belarus reportedly disabled Russian drone-guidance signal repeaters near the Ukrainian border after President Volodymyr Zelensky warned Kyiv could strike them.
At the same time, senior Russian officials, including Security Council Chairman Dmitry Medvedev and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, reiterated Moscow’s unwillingness to accept compromise peace terms such as a frontline freeze, signaling continued commitment to its war goals to occupy the entirety of eastern Ukraine’s Donbas region.
You can also highlight the text and press Ctrl + Enter
