On the 60th day, the Ukrainians oppose the Russian forces, which begins the second phase of the offensive. Its targets are the Donbass and southern Ukraine. Gen. Walter Scripps, the former commander of the ground forces, described it as a “war of exhaustion” that would last several weeks. “The Russians are determined,” he said.
General Rustam Minnegaev, commander of Russia’s Central Military District, recently announced that Russia’s goal is to gain full control of the Donbass and southern Ukraine, and to provide a ground route to Crimea and Transnistria, in the second phase of the “operation” in Ukraine.
The war of exhaustion
– It’s probably a war that will last for weeks, it’s a war of exhaustion. The Russians are determined, and they want to attack the Ukrainian situation at all costs, said General Skripzak. In his opinion, the end of this event will take place on May 9, because Moscow is preparing for the Great Victory Day parade, and should give some success to this occasion.
General Skribzhak insisted that the war was taking place within the administrative boundaries of the two regions of Luhansk and Donetsk. – The aim of the Russians was to occupy these areas. Will taking them end the war? In my opinion, they will smell the blood and go further, they will continue to charge, perhaps in the direction of the Kharkiv region, the General predicted. As he added, “If the Ukrainians win this war, that is, repel the Russian military offensive” – this is very likely in his opinion – “then the Russians have no choice, because they have no other choice.”
Speaking about the perspective of ending the war, General Scripps said, “There is no time limit here.” – The Russians want to win this war. No defeat is acceptable to Russia. He argued that the war would continue until the Russians ruled that they had won the war.
Battle of Donbass General Skrzyszczyk: The war took place in two regions within its jurisdiction – Lukansk and DonetskTVN24
“Russians are bleeding a lot”
The General also presented the present situation before him. – The Russian army has been operating in the Donbass area since April 3. It is carrying out all-time strikes in the north, forcing the Donetsk River with the aim of encircling Ukrainian troops in the area. The Russians fought for two weeks in this direction and did not succeed. The speed of the attack is very low – the general rating. He said there had been no success on the Russian side in the direction of the main strike from the Lugansk region.
He pointed out that the Russians suffer great losses when they hit the Ukrainian situation hard. “The Russians are bleeding a lot in these attacks,” he said. “The Ukrainians plan to repel the Russian military offensive and leave,” he said.
– The Russians have serious difficulties in forming a strike group and can intensify the strike in the area of the Donbass curve – said Skrzypczak. In his opinion, “the Russians do not have a decisive advantage, and little progress in their actions is evident.” – They have an advantage mainly in airstrikes, because they knock down Ukrainian positions with airstrikes and heavy artillery – he noted.