Ukraine says Russia may be preparing ground offensive toward Kyiv, Chernihiv

KYIV, Ukraine — Ukraine has received intelligence indicating that Russia may be preparing a ground offensive toward the capital Kyiv and the northern city of Chernihiv, a senior presidential aide said. Pavlo Balaza, deputy head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, told reporters there are currently no indicators of Russian offensive troop buildups near the northern border and that Moscow is still weighing its military options. Balaza said Russia is pursuing plans to establish roughly 20-kilometer-wide "buffer zones" in the Kharkiv, Chernihiv and Sumy regions. He added that Moscow is also continuing its effort to secure full control over the Donbas region in eastern Ukraine. According to a Bloomberg intelligence assessment cited in the report, Russia’s military movements along the northern front are being closely monitored by the Ukrainian government. The Ukrainian official did not provide a timeline for any potential offensive operation. No further details on the intelligence findings or Russia’s force posture were immediately available.