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According to the ISW, people in Putin’s inner circle want the President to ramp up the ambitions for the war.
According to the ISW, people in Putin’s inner circle want the President to ramp up the ambitions for the war.
What is happening?
Fear of more illegal Russian annexations are rising due to frightening intelligence coming from Ukraine.
125,000 troops deployed near borders
According to the ISW, Washington Post has reported that Ukrainian military intelligence warns that Russia has deployed 125,000 troops near the border of the Sumy and Kharkiv regions – both sharing a border with Russia to the Northeast.
New annexation coming?
According to the ISW, Russia has already conducted offensive operations in the buffer zone of Kharkiv and Sumy – most likely to set the conditions for further illegal annexations of at least Sumy.
The official ambitions
Russian President, Vladimir Putin, has repeatedly maintained his demands of Ukraine leaving the Eastern Ukrainian regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizjzja and Kherson if a ceasefire-deal is to be made.
Why those four regions?
Russia has annexed the four regions, meaning they are now considered Russian territory according to Russia.
Russian forces still do not have full control of either of the regions, though.
Pressure from inner circle
According to the ISW, Russian officials within Putins innermost circle have been calling for Russia to tak control of most of Ukraine instead of “just” the East and South.