The information about the ground offensive is likely to be true with very high probability, according to Paasikivi. There are several military, operational, and strategic targets in the area. For example, it is speculated that one target could be the power plant in Kursk.
According to social media reports, Ukraine has already taken a gas pumping station – one of the gas pipelines that supply Europe with gas.
Can cut off supply lines
Ukraine will soon be able to cut off the Russian supply lines to the northern front, says Paasikivi.
He says that there are also reports that Russia has begun building up forces in the area to attack Ukrainian Sumy. Possibly, the Ukrainian operation is being carried out as a preventive measure.
That Ukraine is able to carry out an operation of this kind suggests, according to Paasikivi, that Ukraine has had sufficient units that have not been engaged in the defense of Donbass, where the Russians are occupying territory.
"Hollow Russian defense"
Over the past 24 hours, Ukraine has now advanced 10-15 kilometers into Russia – and appears to be continuing.
This is a remarkably much higher pace and shows how hollow the Russian defense has been in this part of Russia.
Western countries have previously been hesitant to allow Ukraine to use Western weapons with long-range capabilities against targets in Russian territory – and there are still no signs that such weapons have been used, says Paasikivi, who also believes that Ukraine itself has taken the initiative for the offensive – and that it is not someone else "driving from the backseat".
