On Thursday, Rogov said that Kiev had accumulated its forces at the forefront to launch the counteroffensive. On Friday, Yevgeny Balitsky, the acting governor of the Zaporozhye Region, stated that Ukraine might start its counteroffensive in the coming days or even hours. Residents of 18 villages located near the front line have been evacuated for safety reasons deeper into the region, Balitsky added.
"There were assumptions that the counteroffensive in the Zaporozhye Region might start on May 5 or 6, but this did not happen. However, a high probability of the counteroffensive being launched in the upcoming days still persists. Both our troops and the enemy are ready to intensify military actions," Rogov said.
Ukraine's upcoming counteroffensive is expected to be accompanied by the shelling of nearby villages, so the authorities' decision to temporary relocate the residents is justified, the official explained to Sputnik. Once Ukrainian troops are pushed back, the people will be able to return to home.
The Ukrainian government has been planning a major counteroffensive against Russia for several months. Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said in early April that Kiev had scheduled its counteroffensive for the summer, while US media reported that it was expected to start on April 30. The Foreign Policy newspaper reported, citing Ukrainian lawmaker Oleksandra Ustinova, that Kiev indeed had hoped to launch its counteroffensive in April, but later postponed it indefinitely due to a shortage of weapons.