Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine (NSDC) Oleksiy Danilov said that no more than five people have information about where and when the counteroffensive of the Armed Forces of Ukraine will begin, reports Ukrainian Pravda.

“I can say that today there is a very limited number of people who have information about where, when and how certain actions will be initiated. No more than three or five people… And when people make certain claims, be aware that they may not be true. When this or that military action begins, this or that military operation is information for a very limited circle of people,” he said in an interview with Radio Free Europe.

He added that Ukrainians themselves will notice when “everything will begin”, stressing that “where, when and at what time” is a completely confidential matter.

His statements were made after he announced at the weekend that the NSDC apparatus, with the involvement of specialists and experts, had developed a 12-step plan for the liberation of Crimea.

• PHOTO Are the Russians retreating from Northern Crimea or regrouping for an offensive against Ukraine? The pictures were taken from a satellite

Ukraine expects that in 5-7 months its army will be on the border with Crimea

Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to President Zelenskyi, told Radio Free Europe on Wednesday that Ukrainian troops will be “at the door of Crimea” in “five to seven months.”

But some of Ukraine’s Western allies fear that Putin may resort to tactical nuclear weapons to defend the peninsula, whose status the Kremlin says is non-negotiable.

Crimea has been under Russian occupation since February 2014 and was annexed by Moscow the following month after a mock referendum – a move the international world condemned as an illegal land grab.

Ukraine is “ready” to talk with Russia about Crimea if the expected counteroffensive is successful

Kyiv is ready to discuss the future of Crimea with Moscow if its troops reach the border of the Russian-occupied peninsula, a high-ranking adviser to President Volodymyr Zelenskyi told the Financial Times, News.ro reports.

The statements of Zelenskyi’s deputy head of administration, Andrii Sybiga, are the most explicit statement of Ukraine’s interest in negotiations since Kyiv broke off peace talks with the Kremlin in April last year, the Financial Times notes.

“If we manage to achieve our strategic goals on the battlefield and when we are on the administrative border with Crimea, we are ready to open a diplomatic page to discuss this issue,” said Andriy Sybiga, referring to the expected counteroffensive, which is planned for some time. Kyiv.

“This does not mean that we exclude the way to liberate (Crimea) by our army,” the Ukrainian official added.

Kyiv’s warning before an imminent counteroffensive

Kyiv indirectly called on Ukrainians in the territories occupied by Russia to leave this territory in the event of a future counteroffensive by the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

“I advise Ukrainians from the temporarily occupied territories to either go to third countries or prepare,” Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said in Telegram, without providing details.

Instead, the Ukrainian General Staff announced on Tuesday that Russian and Ukrainian fighter jets and artillery units had entered into action in the east of the country. The Ukrainian General Staff does not report the exact locations of these battles.

The Ukrainian side also reported the destruction of two Russian electronic warfare systems, but this information could not be independently verified, DPA notes.

The Ukrainian counteroffensive may begin in the coming weeks, US Permanent Representative to NATO Julianne Smith previously reported, and Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov stated that it may begin in April-May, reports Unian.