A top war chief has said Ukraine is ready to launch its much-anticipated counter-offensive against Russian forces.
Talk of the offence has long been swirling but now Oleksiy Danilov — one of the country's most senior security officials — has revealed to the BBC that an assault to regain territory from President Vladimir Putin’s occupying forces could commence very soon.
He said it could be "tomorrow, the day after tomorrow, or in a week", although he would not name a specific date.
Danilov highlighted the gravity of the situation and said that Ukraine’s government must avoid making mistakes in this historic opportunity.
Danilov is a key figure in President Volodymyr Zelensky’s de facto war cabinet and the BBC reports that the rare interview was interrupted by a summons from Zelensky himself for a meeting to discuss the counter-offensive.
Since January, Russia has been slowly grinding away in the eastern Donbas region, but making very slow progress with costly errors.
While Ukraine has been bolstering their army with support and supplies from the West. They have re-equipped, armed and helped train a separate Ukrainian force.
All while valiantly defending against Putin's brutal forces — putting them in a very strong position for the counter-offensive.
We don't know exactly what Ukrainian forces will do in their new offensive but almost certainly it will be some sort of armoured attack with heavily armed forces to punch through some parts of Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine.
Asked if Ukrainian armed forces were ready for the offensive, Danilov replied: "We are always ready. The same as we were ready to defend our country at any time. And it is not a question of time.
"We have to understand that that historic opportunity that is given to us - by God - to our country, we cannot lose, so we can truly become an independent, big European country."
He said the Ukrainian armed forces will initiate the assault when military commanders determine that it will yield the best results in the ongoing war.
Mr Danilov dismissed suggestions the counter-offensive had already begun, saying that "demolishing Russian control centres and Russian military equipment" had been the task of Ukrainian armed forces since 24 February last year - the date Russia launched the invasion.
Meanwhile, in an interview with Japanese broadcaster NHK, the head of Ukraine's Main Directorate of Intelligence, Major General Kyrylo Budanov, also that Ukrainian forces now had the means to start the liberation.
"We already have minimum weapons and other equipment stocks in place. I can only say that it will start soon," Budanov said.
He also said that many civilians "are still under Russian occupation," adding that "time cannot be wasted any more."
