Ukraine sees no direct threat to Kharkiv from the Russian offensive. This was stated by National Security and Defense Council Secretary Oleksandr Lytvynenko in an interview with AFP.

“Currently, Russian actions in the border area continue. We can say that we do not see any threat of an assault on the city of Kharkiv. But there are a lot of Russians, quite a lot. About 50 thousand were at the border,” he said,

Lytvynenko said that more than 30,000 Russian troops are involved in the current attack.

In his opinion, Russia's current offensive is likely aimed at creating a “buffer zone” along the border to limit Ukrainian strikes on Russia, which have intensified in recent months.

The NSDC Secretary noted that Ukraine has been striking inside Russian territory, but emphasized that this has been exclusively on military and oil and gas facilities used by the invaders for the invasion.

Lytvynenko emphasized that Russia launched the offensive on Kharkiv region at a time when Ukraine lacks weapons, although aid from the United States has begun to arrive.

“They are taking advantage of existing advantages, advantages in reserves, advantages in weapons, and are trying to force our army to retreat,” he said.

In addition, he expressed his opinion on the appointment of Andrey Belousov as head of the Russian Defense Ministry. Lytvynenko called him an experienced manager and suggested that he could ensure a “long-term war of attrition.”

In addition, the NSDC Secretary stated that Belousov has “serious connections” in Russian intelligence.