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Ukraine to use summer months to stage offensive — Russian senator

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in an interview with Germany’s Funke Media Group on Friday that the Ukrainian army could launch an offensive in the coming weeks

MOSCOW, April 7. /TASS/. Ukrainian troops will try to step up attacks between May and October, when Western combat vehicles they are using "can be at least somehow effective," a Russian senator said on Friday.

"The current wait-and-see tactics of the Ukrainian army stems from the fact that Western combat vehicles are not suited for use in uncomfortable conditions during the muddy season. This means that Kiev will try to stage an offensive sometime between May and October while their vehicles can be at least somehow effective," Viktor Bondarev, chair of the defense and security committee of Russia’s Federation Council (upper parliament house), told TASS.

According to Bondarev, Russia is ready for "any challenges from the enemy." "We won’t be intimidated or forced into a disadvantageous peace on Ukraine’s terms (which its Western sponsors are hoping for). The enemy will be defeated. We will win and will dictate our conditions for peace in the name of security, happiness and health of our compatriots. This is one of the main tasks facing our military now," he stressed.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in an interview with Germany’s Funke Media Group on Friday that the Ukrainian army could launch an offensive in the coming weeks.

The New York Times said earlier citing the US administration officials that the Pentagon was investigating a leak of documents concerning the US and NATO’s plans to train Ukrainian soldiers ahead of an offensive against Russia. Numerous documents on the schedules of arms supplies and the strength of forces were leaked to social networks, including Twitter and Telegram. According to these documents, six Ukrainian army brigades were to complete training by March 31 and three more brigades are to finish preparations for an offensive by April 30.

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