Oleksandr Syrskyi, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, believes Russia could launch an offensive on Chernihiv Oblast from Bryansk Oblast, Syrskyi stated in an interview with TSN, a Ukrainian news outlet.
"Russian leader Vladimir Putin tasked the Russian General Staff with calculating different options for conducting an offensive operation, including from Belarusian territory, with the aim of capturing Kyiv and other territories.
And the Russian General Staff calculated several courses of action. Given recent events, I don't think the leadership of Belarus would dare to use its own territory and hand it over to the aggressor as a bridgehead," he said.
Syrskyi added that Ukraine is also considering such a scenario, but said he believes the most likely option is an offensive in the north, from Russia's Bryansk Oblast towards Chernihiv Oblast.
"The most likely scenario, which is confirmed by several pieces of evidence, is possible offensive action in the north from the territory of Bryansk Oblast in the Russian Federation. This is a realistic scenario and, of course, we are preparing for it," Syrskyi said.
In his view, by opening a new area of active hostilities, Russia would seek to draw Ukrainian troops away from the east and south and extend the front line.
