General Of Security Service Of Ukraine Stated Putin's Main Task For May 9

• 16.04.2022, 8:58

The Russian military leadership wants to substitute the wish for the reality.

The seizure of Mariupol and the capture of its defenders is extremely important for the Russian dictator Putin. The ultimate goal before May 9 can be considered the occupation of the entire territory of Donbass by Putin's army.

Retired SBU general and MP Andrei Kozhemyakin said this in an interview with the editor-in-chief of gordonua.com, Alesa Batzman.

"It is difficult for Putin, in the state he is in now, and his entourage, the military leadership to imagine exactly what they want by May 9. It's psychological. I think they want some small but then well hyped and demonstrated victory. Say, a strike in the direction of Sloviansk, Kramatorsk, Severodonetsk, to reach the borders of Luhansk and Donetsk regions of the 2014 period.

Naturally, it is very important for Putin to capture Mariupol and induce its defenders to surrender or destroy them," he said.

According to Kozhemyakin, a second Russian attempt to occupy the Ukrainian capital also cannot be ruled out.

"I think fascist Putin and the commanders of his armed orcs are proposing the option to strike the main blow from the direction of Donetsk, Luhansk. If they are successful in this direction, I don't rule out that the 20,000-strong group that is currently around Homel, Mazyr and other Belarusian towns (according to our and British intelligence) might make another march towards the Ukrainian capital. But I don't think it will happen," the MP said.