Russia could attack Ukraine on 10 fronts with 100,000 soldiers officials warn

Russia could invade Ukraine by the end of January with a massive assault across ten fronts, intelligence chiefs have warned.

Russian Yars RS-24 intercontinental ballistic missile systems move through Red Square during the Victory Day military parade in Moscow on May 9, 2021. Picture: Dimitar Dilkoff / AFP

Russia could invade Ukraine by the end of January with a massive assault across ten fronts, intelligence chiefs have warned.

Ukrainian commander Kyrylo Budanov, the head of Kiev’s defence intelligence agency, laid out the scale of Vladimir Putin’s attack involving some 100,000 soldiers, The Sun reports.

Brigadier General Budanov explained the invasion would involve airstrikes and artillery bombardments following by an attack from the air involving up to 3,500 paratroopers and special forces, according to the Military Times.

It would then be followed by a mass assault across the border, amphibious landings in Odessa and Mariupol, and a smaller attack from neighbouring Belarus.

Ukrainian intelligence also produced a map-based assessment about how Russia may seek to invade detailing attacks across at least ten fronts.

Russia could invade Ukraine on 10 fronts, intelligence chiefs warn.

Russian tanks, armoured personnel carriers and support equipment. Picture: Maxar Technologies / AFP

Russia however has always denied any aggressive intentions towards Ukraine — branding the latest reports as “hysteria”.

Kiev officials have claimed Putin has deployed 40 “battalion tactical groups” (BTGS) to the border with the former Soviet state.

BTGs are formations of troops, armour, air forces and artillery which are designated specific missions by the Russian Army.

Such missions in this case would be a full scale invasion of Ukraine.

The map also lists Russia as having 94,000 troops, 1,200 tanks, 1,600 pieces of the artillery, 330 aircraft, 75 warships and six submarines in the region.

Budanov warned the conflict would be far more devastating than anything seen in the last seven years of conflict between the two powers in Eastern Europe.

He believes that Russia may be preparing for an attack by the end of January or at the beginning of February.

And he dismissed suggestions Putin would be put off by the wintery conditions, saying “it is no problem for us and the Russians”.

The commander explained Kiev is monitoring troops and weapons massing near the border - including short range missile systems.

Budanov added Russia will first attempt to further destabilise Ukraine by stoking unrest, protests and attempting to undermine the government of president Volodymyr Zelensky.

And this has included ongoing anti-vaxx protests that Ukraine believes have been organised by Putin’s regime.

He also blamed the ongoing border crisis between Belarus and Ukraine on the Russians.

Budanov said: “They want to make the situation inside the country more and more dangerous and hard and make a situation where we have to change the government.

“If they can’t do that, than military troops will do their job.”

US intelligence reportedly support the assessment that Russia is preparing for an invasion of Ukraine.

Sources claimed that the Pentagon has briefed NATO allies with their information amid efforts to deter Russia.

US defence secretary Lloyd Austin met with his Ukrainian counterpart and last week said Washington continues to monitor “troubling behaviour” from Russia.

He said: “We are not sure exactly what Mr. Putin is up to.

“But these movements certainly have our attention. And I would urge Russia to be more transparent about what they are up to take steps to live up to the Minsk agreements.

“Our support for Ukraine sovereignty territorial integrity remains unwavering.”

Officials also confirmed the US has “serious concerns” about Russia’s military activities which they consider pointed at Ukraine.

“We have had extensive interactions with our European allies and partners in recent weeks, including with Ukraine,” an official told The Hill.

Russian Yars RS-24 intercontinental ballistic missile systems move through Red Square during the Victory Day military parade in Moscow on May 9, 2021. Picture: Dimitar DILKOFF / AFP

“As we have said during the public readouts of those meetings, we’ve discussed our concerns about Russian military activities and harsh rhetoric towards Ukraine.

“We have also held discussions with Russian officials about Ukraine and US-Russian relations generally.”

It comes after earlier this month Britain’s top general Nick Carter warned the chance of an “accidental” war with Russia is now the highest in decades.

And meanwhile Whitehall officials were described as being worried and twitchy about the troubling intel emerging from the East.

Previous analysis has suggested Putin’s attack on Ukraine would follow a similar template to the “blitzkrieg” assaults across Europe used by the Nazis.

Russia would seek to hit a knockout blow before Ukraine and the West could react and redraw the “frontline” — similar to what happened in Crimea in 2014.

Putin would attempt to brand the seizure of the land as a “liberation”- much as they did seven years ago.

On Sunday, Vladimir Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: “The ones who are accusing us of some kind of unusual military activity on our own territory are themselves sending their armed forces from across the ocean.

“I mean the United States of America. It’s not very logical and not very decent.”

This article was originally published by The Sun and has been reproduced with permission.