Ukraine's military chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said in an interview published on Wednesday that Russia had launched a new offensive on the northeast of the country, adding that a large increase in assaults was already being observed.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had warned earlier that Russia was preparing an offensive on the two regions of Kharkiv and Sumy.

"I can say that the president is absolutely right and this offensive has actually already begun," Syrskyi said in an interview with Ukrainian publication LB.

"For several days, almost a week, we have been observing almost a doubling of the number of enemy attacks in all main directions (on the frontline)," he said.

Moscow is close to fully pushing Ukrainian forces out of their foothold in Kursk region, which they held since last August and which lies over the border from Sumy region.

Zelenskyy said on Monday that Ukrainian forces were also present in the adjacent Russian region of Belgorod.

The war, the first year of which was marked by rapid Russian territorial gains followed by Ukrainian counter-attacks, has since become far more of a battlefield stalemate, with Moscow grinding out relatively small gains by attacking with wave after wave of infantry squads.

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