Kyiv - Ukraine warns of a new major Kremlin offensive! President Volodymyr Zelenskyy (47) sounded the alarm on Friday: Russia has amassed"up to 100,000 troops" in the east of the country, he told journalists.

The situation is particularly critical around Pokrovsk, a city once with 60,000 inhabitants and now a crucial supply hub for the Ukrainian army. Zelenskyy:"The enemy is building up and concentrating there. They are preparing offensive measures."

In recent months, Russian troops had advanced on Pokrovsk from three sides. On Friday, according to Ukrainian sources, the army was less than five kilometers from the city limits.

Military expert: Russia's mega-offensive conceivable

Military expert Carlo Masala (57) explains to BILD:"The news that the Russians have gathered 100,000 troops for a major offensive also came from Ukraine in the run-up to the Washington meeting." So far, the Russians have failed to capture Pokrovsk – but now a new, major attack could be imminent.

Masala analyzes:"The 100,000 soldiers could indicate an attempt to launch a conventional offensive to capture additional territory. A conventional attack with that many soldiers would be a very large-scale attack."

Masala: Putin wants to impress Trump

According to Masala, Putin's strategy is clear: The Kremlin ruler now wants to"conquer even more territory, which will ultimately force Ukraine to accept Putin's demands – because they can threaten: We will go even further and you will lose even more than you have already lost."

He further analyzes: "If they launch an offensive and it succeeds, then that obviously also has something to do with Washington. Putin wants to convey to Trump: The Ukrainians can't hold out here for long."