After failure near Kyiv and inability to topple Ukraine’s central government, the president of Russia Vladimir Putin changes the main operational directions of war to the south and east. That’s what was head of the Chief Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine informed, the press service of CDI says.
He said: “Putin is already changing the main operational directions – towards the south and the east. There is reason to believe that he is considering a ‘Korean scenario’ [for Ukraine]. That is, trying to impose a dividing line between the unoccupied and occupied regions of our country. It is an attempt to create North and South Korea in Ukraine. After all, he is not able to swallow the entire country.”
Budanov said he did not believe Mariupol would fall soon and that Russian troops would face guerrilla tactics even if it did manage to defeat the experienced Azov battalion in the flattened city.
He said: “The occupiers will try to unite the occupied territories into a single quasi-state entity, which will oppose independent Ukraine. We are already seeing attempts to create ‘parallel’ authorities in the occupied territories and force people to give up the hryvnia [Ukraine’s national currency].
“They may want to bargain at the international level. However, the resistance and protests of our citizens on the occupied territories, counterattacks by the armed forces, and gradual liberation – significantly complicate the implementation of the enemy’s plans.
“In addition, the season of total Ukrainian guerrilla safari will soon begin. Then there will be one relevant scenario left for the Russians – how to survive.”
The prediction came as Leonid Pasechnik, the leader of the self-proclaimed Luhansk People’s Republic in eastern Ukraine, said: “I think that shortly a referendum will be held on the territory of the republic, during which the people will … express their opinion on joining the Russian Federation.”
