Ukraine's Intelligence Service Warns Of Imminent Loss Of Key Town

The Russians want to take it by a "sacred date."

The Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) may soon lose control over the town of Chasov Yar, which is key for Russian troops to get access to the borders of Donetsk region, said Vadim Skibitsky, deputy head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ukrainian Defence Ministry.

"Not today and not tomorrow, of course, but everything depends on our reserves and supplies," Skibitsky said of the threat of losing Chasov Yar in an interview with The Economist. "Our problem is very simple: we have no weapons. They [the Russians] always knew that April and May would be a difficult time for us," the deputy head of the MID added.

He said the Russian army has been ordered to "take something" by Victory Day on May 9 or at least before Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to Beijing a week later.

After that, the Russian army will launch an offensive in Kharkiv and Sumy regions, Skibitsky predicts. The main strike, according to him, is expected to take place in late May or early June. At the moment, the northern grouping of Russian troops totals 35,000 people, but they plan to increase it to 50-70,000. According to the MID deputy head, this is not enough to capture a major city, but it will be enough for a raid on Ukrainian territory. "In any case, dark days await Kharkiv," Skibitsky added.