Russia is not abandoning plans to conduct assault and offensive operations in the Kherson and Zaporizhia regions, Vadym Skibitsky, deputy head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense, said.
Points of attention
- Russian authorities are increasing the contingent of contract soldiers to carry out assault and offensive operations in the Kherson and Zaporizhia regions.
- The threat of assault operations on Ukrainian territory is escalating, with Russia planning to seize Kherson and Zaporizhia regions as 'new territories.'
- The likelihood of attacks on infrastructure involving artillery and rocket systems is on the rise, posing significant risks to the region.
Russia plans to seize Kherson and Zaporizhia regions
"In January, they fulfilled their recruitment plans by 107%. This issue remains relevant, and the Russian authorities have no problem with staffing the troops and replenishing losses," Skibitsky said.
He recalled that the enemy had identified the most urgent areas of combat operations — the Pokrovsky direction, Toretsk, and Chasiv Yar — to complete all the operations they had planned.
In addition, the Russian Federation does not abandon plans to conduct assault and offensive operations in the Kherson and Zaporizhia regions.
Answering the question of whether there is a threat of a Russian offensive in the southern regions, Skibitskyi said:
Yes, the threat remains. Let's look at the statements made by the leadership of the Russian Federation. Kremlin representatives have repeatedly stated that both Kherson and Zaporizhia regions are "new territories" of Russia, which are "enshrined in the Russian constitution," and that they will do everything to ensure that these territories are under Russian control.
Vadym Skibitsky
Deputy Head of the DIU
Regarding the threat of offensive actions on the territory of the Dnipropetrovsk region, the representative of the GUR noted that here we must proceed from whether the Russian Federation will fulfill the task of reaching the borders of the Dnipropetrovsk region.
If Russia succeeds, the threat of any assault operations, reconnaissance operations increases, and in addition, this reduces the radius of combat use of the enemy's artillery and multiple launch rocket systems to strike our infrastructure.
Commenting on the issue of recruiting in the Russian Federation, he reported that the number of contract soldiers — "convicts" — in the Russian army this year will increase from 15% to 30%.
By 2025, according to Russian plans, approximately 30% of those people who supposedly voluntarily join the army will be those who are under investigation, in prisons, or serving suspended sentences. And this problem is already arising for the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation — what to do with these people, how to work with them. In 2024, such a contingent — they are called special contingents — was 15%, and now it will be 30%.
Skibitsky also reported that the large payments received by Russian contract soldiers allow them to replenish the army without any problems.
They are offered high salaries, a very large down payment, which they receive for signing the first contract. In most regions of Russia, it is over 2 million rubles. That is, a Russian serviceman who signs a contract, depending on the region, can receive from 20 to 25 thousand dollars literally at once.
