Military expert Oleg Zhdanov said in an interview with UNIAN about the ecological problem in the Donetsk region

"The Donetsk direction is a political task. Putin said it was necessary to capture the Donetsk region, so they sent private military companies as the most combat-ready part of the power structures.

They already stormed our positions 5-8 times a day. Today, this direction has intensified because Prigozhin is trying to become a political leader near Putin and is trying to seize power in the Russian Federation. In order to establish himself in front of Putin and show that the General Staff is an insolvent organization and he can solve any problems, he needs any victory to take any settlement that is on everyone's lips. And it should not be a small village, but Soledar, Bakhmut, Makiivka, Avdeevka or something like that.

Since General Surovikin is a good friend of Prigozhin, all resources are now being rushed to provide for the militants of Prigozhin's private military company. And today, he is simply "tearing his veins" to show his viability in the conduct of hostilities and their success. Here is what is happening in this area. Therefore, it is extremely difficult for us there.

The situation there is so complicated that there are 5-8 attacks per day on our positions. Plus, the advantage of artillery, plus they added mobilized people there and tried to knock us out of these positions due to the onslaught of fire.

They have had partial success in some areas in some localities. In Makiivka and Bakhmut, we entrenched ourselves along a natural barrier, which is unrealistic to force under such fire. It is more problematic in Soledar and Avdiivka, but we are holding the line.

The problem is already gaining ecological character. Environmental organizations sound the alarm, as no one removes the dead mercenaries from the battlefield. Cadaveric poison enters the groundwater and spreads, animals eat them. In humanitarian terms, there is an absolute hell on earth.

By the way, we provide our fighters with bleach so they can at least slightly disinfect the area in front of their positions. Losses are estimated at around 10,000. This is what we could count on the battlefield in front of our formations."