 Putin has mobilized half a million troops for major new offensive. Russia has mobilized 500,000 troops for a major new offensive in Ukraine on the anniversary of Vladimir Putin's invasion, Kiev's Defense Minister warned, before the Kremlin said it planned to gain the world's attention on February the 24th. Speaking on French television, Olexiy Reznikov said the Russian military is planning to call on the huge number of soldiers to mount another assault on his country. February the 24th will mark 365 days since Moscow's troops first rolled into parts of Ukraine, not already under Russian occupation. But what the Kremlin hoped would be a swift overthrow of Ukraine's government has dragged out into a painful war of attrition, with Kiev's forces driving the invaders back into the east. Now, despite suffering a series of setbacks, Putin is preparing to launch another major offensive in an attempt to swing the momentum in favor of his armies and achieve victory in Ukraine once and for all according to Reznikov. Moscow appeared to hint at a new offensive on Thursday, with Putin's chief diplomat saying that Russia had planned to overshadow pro-Ukrainian events arranged by Western and Allied countries around the world to mark the anniversary. Lavrov said ominously, Russian diplomats were working on something to ensure Western-led events in New York and elsewhere were not the only ones to gain the world's attention without providing details. Lavrov's comments came ahead of European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen arriving in Kiev for talks with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky. The pair were seen embracing as she arrived for the meeting, during which he said the European Union plans to introduce fresh sanctions on Russia. Referring to Russia's partial mobilization of 300,000 conscripted soldiers, which Moscow said was concluded in November, the Ukrainian defence minister said the true size of the force could be closer to 500,000 and is gathering on the borders. We do not underestimate our enemy, Reznikov said during an interview broadcast. Officially they announced 300,000, but when we see the troops at the borders according to our assessments it is much more. He said Russia was likely to try an offensive on two fronts, in the country's east, which has been at the centre of brutal fighting in recent months and in the south. Reznikov said Kiev believes Moscow has deployed about half a million troops, far more than Russia's claim of 300,000 personnel currently mobilized. In order to repel the attack, he called on the west to supply it with more weaponry. In the past week, western powers including US and Germany have approved sending more than 100 battle tanks to Ukraine, a move that Russia has warned crosses a dangerous new line in the conflict. It was also reported yesterday that the US was preparing a more than $2 billion package of military aid including the delivery of long range missiles. However the US and the UK have for now rebuffed Kiev's requests for fighter jets amid fears that it could lead to Russia escalating the war even further. We need arms to counter the enemy, Reznikov said.