Russians risk stepping on same rake if they repeat attack from north - General Syrskyi

Commander of Ukraine’s Ground Forces Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskyi believes that the threat of a repeated offensive by Russian troops in the northern direction remains in place, but this will only lead to negative consequences for the Russian army.

The general said this in an interview with ABC News, as reported by Ukrinform

Syrskyi, in particular, noted that Russia's activity in Belarus really reflects possible preparations for an attempt to transfer hostilities to new territories.

"Of course they are getting ready for escalation of the battle and switching the conflict to other combat zones," he told ABC News. "They are getting ready for action aimed at weakening our groupings and, to my mind, the possible purpose of that would be to cut or degrade our lines of communication and supplies."

However, the colonel general believes that a repeated offensive in the north will bring Russia no desired result.

"They risk stepping on the same rake twice and hitting themselves in the face," he added.

As for the southern direction, Syrskyi refused to comment on the battles for Kherson, noting that he believes in the success of our Armed Forces. According to him, the threat of the Russian Federation blowing up the Kakhovska HPP dam should not be underestimated.

Asked if he believed Putin would stop if Ukraine succeeded in liberating all of its territory, Syrskyi said it didn't matter, and that the quickest way to end the war was to push Russian troops out of Ukraine as quickly as possible.

"We have no other option, we have to go forward, move straight to our state borders," he said, adding that victory would only be when Ukrainian flags were flying over all Ukraine's borders, "including Ukrainian Crimea."

As reported by Ukrinform, Syrskyi believes that there is a possibility that Russia will deploy nuclear weapons in a war with Ukraine.