LUGANSK, May 4. /TASS/. Ukrainian forces are attempting to launch a counteroffensive in the Lugansk area, LPR People's Militia retired Lieutenant Colonel Andrey Marochko told TASS on Thursday.
"On our [Lugansk] direction there are attempts by Ukrainian militants to launch a so-called counteroffensive. As I said earlier, the fourth [of May] was a key and very dangerous date. Beginning on that day, the Ukrainian militants hope for more or less favorable weather conditions due to which they began to advance," he said.
The military expert noted that Russian forces also noted the adversary becoming more active in the vicinity of Kupyansk, Krasny Liman and Donetsk while Ukrainian troops in the Artyomovsk area are the most active.
On Tuesday, Marochko told TASS that Ukrainian troops might stage several provocations in the zone of the special military operation and launch a counteroffensive by May 9.
On April 25, the New York Times, citing the Pentagon and US intelligence documents recently leaked via the Internet, reported that Ukrainian troops planned to launch a counteroffensive on the southern direction in May. As Yevgeny Prigozhin, the founder of the Wagner private military company, said on May 3, the Ukrainian counteroffensive had basically started with its active phase approaching.