‘A lunar landscape with residents who hate us’ Russian military source tells Novaya Gazeta that Moscow is gearing up for a new offensive

Russia is preparing to launch a new offensive in Ukraine, Novaya Gazeta Europe reported on Friday, citing a source from the Russian military.

According to the source, Russia’s generals are ready to turn tens of thousands of their own servicemen into “mincemeat” at the behest of their superiors. At the same time, he said, the generals aren’t taking into account any of the obvious risks this kind of maneuver carries.

“The Ukrainians get absolutely accurate information about all of our movements from Western intelligence agencies,” he said. “Amassing enough forces in a particular area without exposing them to strikes from [Ukrainian] HIMARS and long-range artillery is impossible.”

Among the problems likely to plague the potential upcoming assault, the source listed the difficulty of capturing new territories, the challenges of maintaining control over newly-captured areas, and the inevitable stretching of the front line, which makes it even harder to transport food and munitions.

“As a result of the attacks, we end up getting a lunar landscape with the remnants of a population that hates us, rather than inhabited settlements. Enemy sabotage and reconnaissance groups operate in the occupied territories. They stab you in the back, plot the land for the artillery, mine the roads, take prisoners. In circumstances like these, holding the front can only be done at the cost of enormous losses,” he said.

The source didn’t specify where Russia plans to launch the offensive, but military experts who spoke to Novaya Gazeta said that Russia could try to push to front line further away from the annexed part of the Donbas or Crimea, attempt a new offensive in the Zaporizhzhia region, or launch an attack on the Volyn region in Western Ukraine from Belarusian territory.