Strelkov: Ukrainian Army will wipe out pro-Russian militants during offensive on Donbas
"Ex-Defense Minister" of the unrecognized Donetsk People’s Republic Colonel Igor Strelkov (Girkin) believes that the Ukrainian Armed Forces are now fully capable to retake control of the Donbas by force.
"If Ukraine launches an offensive, the entire existence of DPR and DPR will depend only on one thing: whether the Russian Armed Forces will come to their rescue," Strelkov said in an interview with the Russian TV channel Roy TV. According to him, not only Russia’s help but also the time of this help will be important.
The ex-militant assured that in case of a limited involvement, Russian troops will not only lose the Donbas, but also suffer heavy losses, as the Ukrainian Armed Forces will fight "with determination".
According to him, the combat capability of the so-called DPR and LPR Army Corps is extremely negligible. Today, these groups are not able to provide any serious resistance in the event of a large offensive.
"The Corps play the role of a separator, a cover. They are supposed to hold out for a while until the real forces are deployed behind their backs. But this shield is so weak and incapable to play any role. They simply can't. They will be swept away, blown away just instantly!" said Strelkov.
He suspects that the Russian Armed Forces will simply not have enough time to deploy and enter the Donbas. Probably, they will start getting destroyed during their deployment.
"And, most likely, not only from the air, but also from the ground by the advancing Ukrainian troops," the FSB colonel shared his opinion.
Strelkov believes that even in case of Russia's full-fledged invasion of the Donbas, the Russian army will not be able to defeat the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
"Even if the Russian Federation enters the territory of DPR and LPR, I predict very heavy losses, including the defeat of Russian troops in this area," Strelkov said.