Day 335 of the Invasion of Ukraine: Russian Forces prepare for a Decisive Counteroffensive in the Spring or Early Summer

Here are the highlights of events related to the war in Ukraine over the past 24 hours:

Russia sends three motorized infantry divisions to Ukraine

Russia is sending three new motorized infantry divisions to the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions, announced the head of the Russian General Staff, Valery Gerasimov, who has been in charge of military operations in Ukraine since last month. "Russia attacks without interruption the settlements on the front line," the Ukrainian president said in his traditional address.

The three new divisions in Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions must defend the annexed territories, explained Gerasimov. He also added that the Russian army will adapt to the expansion of NATO after the admission of Sweden and Finland. According to Gerasimov, there is a danger that Ukraine will be used by the West in a "hybrid war" against Russia.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in his evening address that Russia is continuously attacking the settlements on the front line. Heavy fighting is taking place in Donbas. "We see that Russia is amassing an army, but we know how to respond to that," assured Zelensky.

The debate over the delivery of battle tanks to Ukraine continues.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said progress had been made and "several small steps remain" before the delivery of German Leopard tanks. The High Representative for Foreign Policy and Security of the EU, Josep Borrell, emphasized after the meeting of the ministers of foreign affairs in Brussels that Germany does not block the export of Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine from other countries.

And the Rheinmetall concern, which produces the tanks, announced that it can deliver a...