KRASNODAR, May 30. /TASS/. Ukraine’s military will put more effort into information strikes than military ones during the planned counterattack, the first deputy chairman of Russia’s Civic Chamber’s commission for the promotion of information community, mass media and mass communications, Alexander Malkevich, told TASS. In his opinion, the Ukrainian army’s main task will be to achieve a "propaganda effect."

"Now we are on the threshold of a fierce information attack. They will bend over backwards in an attempt to make any mosquito bite look like a great victory on the battlefield," he said, adding that the Russian army was ready for any possible military offensive.

Earlier, the commander of Ukraine’s ground forces, Alexander Syrsky, said that the time for a counterattack by Ukrainian troops was at hand and specific tasks to help prepare for it had already been identified. At the same time, last week, Mikhail Podolyak, an adviser to the head of the Ukrainian president's office, claimed that the counteroffensive had, in fact, begun several days ago. On Monday, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky said that decisions had already been made on how and when the country's armed forces would move forward.

Media speculations about an impending Ukrainian counteroffensive have continued unabated for several months now, with different dates being mentioned. The Russian Foreign Ministry earlier stated that the Western countries’ open speculations about an impending Ukrainian counterattack confirmed their direct involvement in the conflict.