JAKARTA - Russia is preparing for a long war in Ukraine and still wants to conquer the entire country, a senior Ukrainian military official said on Thursday.
Brigadier General Oleksify Gromov said in a military briefing, although he did not expect Moscow to launch an attack from Belarus, Russia was training new troops on its neighboring land and had moved military aircraft there.
"The Kremlin is trying to turn the conflict into a prolonged armed confrontation," Gromov said.
Gromov did not say what Russia's goal was in extending the war that had lasted nearly 10 months.
Meanwhile, Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Malyar at the same briefing warned against allowing complacency to emerge after Russia's recent military setback.
"We and the world must not relax, because the ultimate goal of the Russian Federation is to conquer all of Ukraine and then be able to continue," said Malyar.
Ukrainian officials describe the Kremlin as desperate to reverse a recent military setback, including withdrawing from the southern city of Kherson after months of occupation, securing victory to justify war on the Russian public.
The Kremlin has never fully determined the purpose of the February 24 invasion, which it says is partly meant to protect Russian speakers in eastern Ukraine.
It said last week that Russia was still preparing to secure at least most of the eastern and southern parts of Ukraine that had been declared its own. But it appears that it has surrendered to seize other areas in the west and northeast that Ukraine has reclaimed.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian military staff said Moscow's main focus at the moment was in the eastern cities of Bakhmut and Avdivka. However, Russian troops opened fire on Kherson every day and sought to gain a stronger foothold in the southeastern region of Zaporizhia.
"They understand that if they don't stretch the front line now, this winter will be a disaster for them," said Andriy Yermak, head of Ukraine's presidential office.
Russia, which is also attacking Ukraine's energy infrastructure, has ruled out the Christmas ceasefire. Gromov also rejected possible ceasefires during New Year's celebrations.
"There will be a total ceasefire only if no single occupation remains on our land," he stressed.
Gromov said Russia since mid-October had built up its military presence in Belarus, where they trained new units and restored the combat capabilities of the old unit, and had deployed military aircraft back to its territory.
"This first suggests that the enemy is building up a possible airstrike on Ukrainian territory," he said, but added that the possibility of Russian attacks from Belarus "stays low."
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