**Russia Prepares for Summer Offensive in Ukraine**
As the weather warms up, Russia is making its move. With a massive buildup of troops and heavy weapons, Moscow is gearing up to launch a major summer offensive in eastern Ukraine.
According to Ukrainian intelligence, Russia has assembled over 50,000 troops on the border with Kharkiv and Sumy oblasts, with four months of favorable weather ahead to conduct their campaign. The Russian army is expected to push beyond their initial buffer zone goals, aiming for full control of these regions.
This development comes as peace talks between Russia and Ukraine have collapsed, and diplomacy seems to be on the backburner. The Vatican, which was proposed by former US President Donald Trump as a potential venue for negotiations, has been rejected by Russian Foreign Affairs Minister Sergey Lavrov. Russia’s stance is that they are winning the war and see no need to negotiate.
Ukrainian forces have detected Russian preparations for a major offensive, including the deployment of powerful thermobaric artillery systems in the Kharkiv region. Ukrainian drones quickly targeted and destroyed one such system, preventing it from being used against their positions.
In another development, Ukrainian forces struck a key Russian command post in the town of Rylsk, killing the deputy commander of the 40th Marine Brigade, Alexander Danilov. This decapitation strike undermines Russian planning and delays their coordination of upcoming assaults.
Russian forces also conducted a large-scale mechanized assault on the town of Lyptsi, but were quickly repelled by Ukrainian artillery fire and drone strikes. The attack was anticipated by Ukrainian forces, who had tracked Russian redeployments and prepared their defenses accordingly.
This escalation comes as Europe is waking up to the need for increased defense production output. The EU has provided over two-thirds of its promised two million artillery shells to Ukraine, while Germany is developing AI-guided drones and France and the UK are sending hundreds of self-propelled artillery systems to Ukraine.
**Ukraine’s Arsenal Grows**
As Russia prepares for a major summer offensive, Ukraine’s arsenal is growing. European countries are providing significant military aid, including artillery, drones, ammunition, air defenses, and heavy equipment. This will enable Ukrainian forces to counter Russian assaults with greater density of fire, giving them a better chance of repelling the coming onslaught.
**Frontline Report**
In our daily frontline report, we partner with the military blogger Reporting from Ukraine to keep you informed about what’s happening on the battlefield in the Russo-Ukrainian war. Stay tuned for updates and analysis from the frontlines.
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