Military expert Roman Svitan said that in 2023 Ukrainian forces will drive the Russians out of the southern regions and Crimea. But there are questions about the Donbas - it can become the most difficult direction.

“American General Milley is absolutely sure that in 2023 our troops will reach the coast of Azov. This entails the destruction of the Russian Crimean and Kherson groups. But there are difficult moments associated with the de-occupation of Donbas, because behind the Donbas is 7,000 kilometers of Russia. It will already be difficult if the task is carried out frontally," he said in the interview to Yulia Latynina.

Svitan believes that it is possible to solve the issues of the liberation of Donbas, not frontally.

“Leaving first to Lugansk, then to Krasnodon, we will have to go to Taganrog. Then we cut off the entire Donetsk group and closed the operational encirclement. We just need enough force and means to cut off and hold this group.

Still, the eastern flank, where there are 7,000 kilometers of Russia, will have to be held. In order to end the war this year, if this does not work out for various reasons, then we will have to deal with the Donbas before the next 2024.

There is a possibility that we will have to mess around if we do not have time to do this before the summer: then, after all, the Russian defense industry will start up at maximum capacity, and they can put their infantry already on armor, and it will be more difficult for us to perform this kind of maneuver," added expert.