Representative of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense Vadim Skibitsky, during the discussion "Ukraine and the World Ahead of 2024," outlined the two greatest fears of Kremlin leaders.
"What are they most afraid of? Very simple, two things. First, it's a change in the regime in Moscow. And second, it's the fragmentation or dissolution of the Russian Federation. Accordingly, to preserve this, Russia is pursuing the policy it has today," said Vadim Skibitsky.
The objectives for Russia in the war against Ukraine in 2024 include gaining control over the administrative borders of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions and maintaining control over all temporarily occupied Ukrainian territories.
"The goals that Putin set for himself regarding the so-called 'svoy' [the self-proclaimed republics in Eastern Ukraine] have not been achieved either in 2022 or in 2023. He simply postpones them to the next year," noted Vadim Skibitsky.
De-occupation of all territories seized by the aggressor remains a strategic task for Ukraine. In this context, active actions on the Crimean Peninsula, according to the representative of military intelligence, will have an impact on other fronts.
"Crimea today is a transit zone for the supply of all weapons, ammunition, and personnel from the territory of Russia to our southern regions: in the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions," reminded Vadim Skibitsky.
