Ukraine previously launched a hugely successful invasion of Russian territory in August (Image: Getty)
could be set to launch a second, stunning counter-offensive, it has been claimed, in what would be a huge hammerblow to and .
Earlier this year, the Ukrainian armed forces seized vast swathes of land in , much of which they still hold.
The surprise counterattack took the Kremlin by surprise and was seen by many as a humiliation for , who became the first Russian leader since the to lose
Many believe the attack was designed to weaken confidence in Putin’s leadership and to force the Russian military to divert troops away from the where they were enjoying success.
As once more begins to stare defeat in Donetsk in the face, with , a Ukrainian military commander has hinted at the possibility of launching a similar assault in a second Russian region.
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Ukraine’s surprise invasion of Kursk embarrassed the Kremlin. (Image: Getty)
Commander in Chief, General Syrskyi, who oversaw the successful invasion of Kursk, hinted at the possibility of a second assault.
Speaking during a meeting with journalists he said: “We must stop the enemy, but victory is impossible if forces remain purely defensive.
“We must seize the initiative and counterattack – and we will.”
In response, Ukrainian commentator Igor Sushko wrote on X: “‘s Commander in Chief, General Syrskyi hinted at an impending large counteroffensive.
“If this is real and not just a feint to confuse the Russians, I’d expect another Kursk-like invasion of , but in a different region. Bryansk?”
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Ukraine is losing ground at an alarming rate in the Donetsk region (Image: Getty)
The ominous warning comes at a time when is suffering continual land loss in the long-contested Donetsk region, an area that has been the Russian main effort for over 10 months.
Of course, the counterattack could come in areas that have already seen heavy fighting but speculation online by military bloggers hints at two other alternatives.
One such scenario is the threat is a bluff, designed to warn Russian military planners from deploying troops from elsewhere into the Donetsk region to aid them in their advance on the logistically key city of Pokrovsk.
A second hints at an incursion into the Bryansk region of , a key logistical hub for the Russian armed forces.
Bryansk was the location of one of the first uses of American provided missiles in an offensive capacity, as used their newly granted permission.
It remains unclear whether has the manpower and equipment to commit itself to a third front as resources become ever more stretched in regions currently experiencing heavy fighting.