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Russian forces may have to advance as far as Kyiv or Lviv in Ukraine to “destroy this infection”, the country’s former president Dmitry Medvedev said in an interview with Russian news agencies on Friday. His comments come as Ukraine prepares an expected counteroffensive. Follow our live blog for all the latest developments on the war in Ukraine. All times are Paris time (GMT+1).
7:19am: Russian forces may advance to Kyiv or Lviv, Medvedev says
Russian forces may have to advance as far as Kyiv or Lviv in Ukraine to “destroy this infection”, the country’s former president Dmitry Medvedev said in an interview with Russian news agencies.
“Nothing can be ruled out here. If you need to get to Kyiv, then you need to go to Kyiv, if to Lviv, then you need to go to Lviv in order to destroy this infection,” RIA Novosti quoted Medvedev, who is now deputy chairman of the Russian Security Council, as saying.
1:47am: Ukraine prepares counteroffensive
Ukrainian troops will soon counterattack as Russia’s offensive looks to be faltering, a commander said, noting Russia’s Wagner mercenaries “are losing considerable strength and are running out of steam”.
“Very soon, we will take advantage of this opportunity, as we did in the past near Kyiv, Kharkiv, Balakliya and Kupiansk,” Kyiv’s ground forces commander Oleksandr Syrskyi said in a social media post.
There was no immediate response from Moscow to suggestions its forces in Bakhmut were losing momentum, but Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin issued statements in recent days warning of a Ukrainian counterassault.
On Monday, Prigozhin published a letter to Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu, saying Ukraine aimed to cut off Wagner’s forces from Russia’s regular troops.
(FRANCE 24 with Reuters, AFP and AP)
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