Russian servicemen in a convoy of military equipmentMOSCOW, 31 Mar. The American public will have to take a fresh look at Russia and the special military operation in Ukraine, said former adviser to the US Secretary of Defense, retired colonel Douglas McGregor. He expressed his opinion on the Youtube channel of TV presenter Dave Smith. «The Russians are very different from us, we behave differently. Many thought that the Russian military would march through Ukraine like a sledgehammer, but in reality everything happens differently: they do not they do,” he said. continues to treat Ukrainians as neighbors. McGregor also called Moscow's position «very simple» and recalled that Russia's tasks include, in particular, the protection of the inhabitants of Donbass and its own citizens living in Ukraine, as well as ensuring the security of its borders. Separately, the colonel mentioned Crimea, voicing an atypical position for American speakers. “Crimea has never been Ukrainian, this is a banal historical fact,” McGregor concluded. Russia launched a special military operation to demilitarize and denazify Ukraine on February 24. President Vladimir Putin called its goal «the protection of people who have been subjected to bullying and genocide by the Kiev regime for eight years.» According to the Ministry of Defense, the armed forces strike only at military infrastructure and Ukrainian troops. It was also noted that the main tasks of the first stage had been successfully completed by March 25, and now the combat potential of Ukraine has been significantly reduced. The main goal of the special operation in the ministry was the liberation of Donbass.
