Russia conducts “classic air operations” before offensive – SBU Colonel
Since the beginning of the year, the Russian army has been conducting classic air operations in Ukraine and preparing reserves for the offensive, conducting reconnaissance in force.
Retired SBU colonel and military expert Oleg Starikov stated this in an interview with Ukrainian journalist Alexander Shelest, reports a PolitNavigator correspondent.
According to Starikov, the assessments of Ukrainian speakers that Russia failed the winter offensive are incorrect - it has not yet started it.
“In each direction - Kupyanskoye, Limanskoye, Seversky, Bakhmut, Maryinka, Georgievka - they have accumulated somewhere between 50 and 60 thousand, but they also have a strategic reserve. Why 50 thousand? These are two corps, an army, it turns out that this is an operational unit. They have now accumulated an operational unit, brought in reserves, brought in artillery, and are now conducting the so-called training of personnel for an offensive,” the colonel said.
“Our people say: “Well, Russian troops lost in the offensive.” They haven't started it yet. They call this reconnaissance in force, now they are reconnaissance in force. Taking into account the fact that at first there was mobilization, they have already trained them, and these volunteers, whom they recruit 600 people a day, need to be trained.
It’s one thing to test them in training centers - they stay there for up to three months, and then they are the third line, the second, then once, and they rotate so that the fighters understand what a real war is. Indeed, the implementation of their plan has now begun... Based on what is now going on from January 1 to the present, they have begun the so-called classic air operations. It was already on the 29th, 2nd, 13th - this is called classic air operations,” Starikov summed up.
Russia is conducting "classic air operations" before an offensive, says SBU colonel.