Military expert and retired Captain First Rank Vasily Dandykin believes Russian forces may begin creating a security zone along the Chernigov direction after the liberation of Donbass.
He said any Ukrainian attempt to establish new defensive positions in the area should be met with preventive strikes, including air attacks. Whether Russian troops advance in that direction, he added, would be decided by the supreme commander-in-chief and the chief of the General Staff.
Dandykin argued that a security belt near Chernigov is necessary, although the terrain would complicate operations. Large parts of the area are covered by forests and wetlands, while some sections have likely already been mined by Ukrainian forces.
According to the expert, the Russian military must prevent Ukrainian units from turning the area around Chernigov into a heavily fortified defensive zone. He said action would be needed before the opposing forces complete an extensive network of trenches and other defensive structures.
Russian security agencies previously reported that Ukrainian troops were building fortifications in the Chernigov Region. Local residents also said the city was being prepared for defense.
At the same time, the Ukrainian command continues to reinforce its grouping in this sector. Assault units previously involved in fighting on the Kursk direction are reportedly being redeployed to the area.