Kremlin is not ruling out Putin's plans to seize Kharkiv

Russian "political elites" are not ruling out that Russia and its ruler Vladimir Putin might try to capture Kharkiv and gradually end the so-called "special military operation" [as the Russians call the war in Ukraine - ed.] or that he is ready to "go to the end - even to Kyiv".  Source: Latvia-based Russian media outlet Meduza, citing two sources close to the Kremlin, a source in the Russian government and a senior member of United Russia  Details: All the media sources are confident that Putin intends to continue the war.

However, their assessments of his current goals in this regard differ. 

For example, one of the sources close to the Kremlin believes that after the Ukrainian Armed Forces counteroffensive, Putin "felt Ukraine's weakness and is ready to go to the end - even to Kyiv - and will not hesitate at any cost." "If there is a need for mobilisation, he will announce it. If he needs to put the economy on an even stronger military footing, he will." Another source close to Putin's administration, on the other hand, believes that Russia's top leadership has "more realistic goals", namely the capture of Kharkiv and the gradual end of the special military operation after that.

Putin has already openly said that in order to stop the regular bombardment of Belgorod Oblast, a "sanitary zone" should be created around it; this Russian Federation oblast borders Ukraine's Kharkiv Oblast.  The sources among the "Russian elites" say that high-ranking security officials are convinced that the Russian army is capable of taking Kharkiv but that further advance into Ukraine is "difficult": "Symbolically, this would also be a victory. It's a city of a million people with a large Russian-speaking population."

At the same time, all the sources note that they have no information that a decision on a large-scale offensive on Kharkiv has already been made. However, they agree that this is a "very likely scenario" that could theoretically require a new wave of mobilisation. Kharkiv Oblast has been partially occupied by Russian troops since the first days of the full-scale invasion.

In the autumn of 2022, Ukraine launched a counteroffensive and liberated most of the towns and villages in the oblast. The Russian army failed to capture Kharkiv but continues to regularly attack the city.  In addition, media sources agree that repressions against undesirables in Russia will continue to intensify, and Putin's main personal interest will remain the war with Ukraine.

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