The scenario which Russian President Vladimir Putin has taken years to prepare for was now being fulfilled in Ukraine, the former commander of Polish Land Forces, Gen. Waldemar Skrzypczak, commented for wPolityce.pl on the deployment of Russian troops to the Donbas.
The general stated that while the forces Moscow sent to the region have small military potential and involved two mechanized regiments, they were enough to support the separatists in the area.
“Their most likely goal is the total takeover of two areas: the Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts. The scenario of annexing a part of Ukrainian territory by the Russian military and the addition of an increasingly larger part of Ukraine to the Russia Federation is taking place,” the general said.
He explained that Putin’s plan will now be developing in stages. He will be taking out fragments of Ukraine and adding them to the Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts and expand their territory.
Moreover, General Skrzypczak pointed out that Russia has also been transferring Wagner Group and other special services soldiers to the Eastern Ukrainian region — between Mariupol and Odessa and North from the Black Sea. The aim of these units is to organize local uprisings against Ukrainian authorities.
The Polish general outlined that these local risings are meant to take over a particular territory, announce independence and ask the Russian army for aid because they will claim that Ukrainian troops are murdering them.
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“Putin of course, as part of saving Russian citizens, will send his forces in and the area will become another part of Ukrainian territory which will be annexed and added to Russia. This will be a progressive process,” General Skrzypczak said.
He added that Russia will be absorbing Ukraine gradually and that Putin intends to take over all of Eastern Ukraine.
“When it comes to Western Ukraine, I have doubts because there aren’t as many of Putin’s supporters over there as there are in the East. It may turn out that Putin will have issues with an anti-Russian underground in that area,” General Skrzypczak admitted.
He explained that such a situation could cause a pushback within the Russian nation, which would notice a similar danger to the one which Russian soldiers faced in Afghanistan in the past.
