Ukrainian military. File photoPRAGUE, May 25.The former head of the NATO Military Committee, Czech General Petr Pavel, whose statement that Russia would be able to occupy the Baltic states within two days at one time caused a great resonance, doubted the possibility of Ukrainian troops to occupy the Donbass and the Russian Crimea. The head of intelligence of Ukraine, Kirill Budanov, said yesterday that by the end of the year, Ukrainian troops «should, at a minimum, enter the territory of Crimea.»The Americans questioned Zelensky's mental health after the words about Russia Speaking on Czech TV, Pavel said, «the fact that they would be able to oust the Russian army from the entire territory, including Crimea and part of the Donbass, which have been occupied since 2014, is unlikely.» «Russia in its actions overestimated its own strength and underestimated the Ukrainians. But this does not mean at all that Ukraine should win, «says the former NATO military leader. At the same time, he called on the West to provide Ukraine with everything necessary for effective defense. Russia launched a military operation in Ukraine on February 24. President Vladimir Putin called its goal «the protection of people who have been subjected to bullying and genocide by the Kyiv regime for eight years.» For this, according to him, it is planned to carry out «demilitarization and denazification of Ukraine», to bring to justice all war criminals responsible for «bloody crimes against civilians» in Donbass. According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, the Armed Forces strike only at military infrastructure and Ukrainian troops and , on March 25, completed the main tasks of the first stage — significantly reduced the combat potential of Ukraine. The main goal in the Russian military department was called the liberation of Donbass.
