The defeat of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Donbass can be considered the primary goal for the Russian forces. If this is done, that a would be a breakthrough for the special operation. This opinion was expressed by a former employee of the SBU of Ukraine Vasily Prozorov. He says that the goal of Ukraine for now is to buy time.
He believes that an example of his position could be seen in Mariupol, when not hundreds, but thousands of fighters began to surrender. The same psychological turning point awaits Ukraine after the Donbass group is defeated. And the Ukrainian authorities understand this, although they cannot give an order to withdraw troops, the officer added in an interview with Ukraina.ru.
This behavior of Kyiv is explained by the fact that the authorities are more concerned about their image and ratings, which could be undermined by the order to withdraw troops. And society will perceive this as a clear defeat, Prozorov noted.
In his opinion, the troops in the Donbass will be held to the last, trying to gain time until they are all destroyed. At the same time, Ukrainian people will be reassured, saying that everything is fine, and the counteroffensive will begin soon, Prozorov concluded.