Russia is reportedly preparing a new offensive in Ukraine’s northeastern Sumy and Kharkiv oblasts this spring, President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an interview with Le Figaro published on March 26. According to Zelensky, Moscow has been building up forces along the border and making preparations for a large-scale assault.

The Ukrainian president noted that Russian President Vladimir Putin had originally planned to launch the operation eight months ago but was forced to postpone it due to Ukraine's military actions in Kursk Oblast. "We must look at the situation with our eyes wide open. Putin is preparing a new offensive, particularly in Sumy and Kharkiv oblasts," Zelensky said, adding that the Kremlin leader was "trying to buy time" while gearing up for a major attack.

Both Sumy and Kharkiv oblasts, which border Russia, have been critical battlegrounds since the beginning of the full-scale invasion. Last May, Russian forces attempted a large-scale offensive on Kharkiv Oblast from multiple directions. By early June, Ukraine had managed to halt the advance, with Zelensky declaring the operation a failure.

In August 2024, Ukrainian forces launched a cross-border operation into Russia’s Kursk Oblast, capturing approximately 1,300 square kilometers (500 square miles) of territory. However, in early March, Russian troops, reinforced by North Korean units, launched a counteroffensive, reclaiming significant areas that Ukraine had hoped to use as leverage in potential negotiations.

On March 15, Zelensky had already warned of increasing Russian military activity along the northeastern border. "We understand this and will take countermeasures," he wrote on Telegram, emphasizing that Ukraine was closely monitoring the situation and preparing its defenses.