Putin to launch an attack from Belarus?; Orders reportedly issued to the Russian General Staff

In an interview with Ukrainian broadcaster TSN, Syrskyi said that Russian President Vladimir Putin had instructed the Russian General Staff to evaluate various options for conducting an offensive operation, including one launched from Belarusian territory, with the aim of capturing Kyiv and other regions.

"Russian leader Vladimir Putin instructed the Russian General Staff to assess different options for carrying out an offensive operation, including from Belarusian territory, with the goal of seizing Kyiv and other regions. The Russian General Staff has examined several possible courses of action. Given recent developments, I do not believe the Belarusian leadership would dare to allow its territory to be used by the aggressor as a staging ground," Syrskyi said.

He added that Ukraine is still considering such a scenario but believes the most likely course of action would be an attack from the north, launched from Russia's Bryansk region toward Ukraine's Chernihiv region.

"We must take into account every possibility, even the worst-case scenarios. The most likely scenario, supported by multiple pieces of evidence, is a potential offensive from Russia's Bryansk region toward the north of Ukraine. This is a realistic scenario, and we are, of course, preparing for it," Syrskyi said.

According to Syrskyi, Russia's objective would be to expand the scope of the conflict and force Ukrainian troops to redeploy reserves from key sections of the front by attempting a deeper advance into Ukrainian territory.