As I was saying.....
Putin is eyeing up much bigger prize than Donbas conquest in Ukraine says US General
A top US General has argued that Russia's troop buildup on Ukraine's eastern borders is a distraction and that the Kremlin is preparing for a different attack.
Lieutenant General Ben Hodges said in an interview with Espresso TV that Mr Putin has his eyes set on capturing the Black Sea Coast in the south.
The former commander of the United States Army Europe explained: "The Kremlin is interested in establishing full control over the Black Sea coast, including Mariupol, Odessa and Berdyansk.
“All this movement of Russian forces is most likely a diversionary manoeuvre to strike and capture the water canal connecting Crimea to the Dnieper River. And then, it will become a springboard for further capture of the Black Sea coast."
He added that Moscow did not need to make a decisive move in the Donbas at present and preferred to use the simmering conflict as a means to further undermine Kiev.
"The Russians do not need a decisive attack on the Donbas now," he said. "The Donbas is needed to continue destabilization in the region and to inhibit Ukraine's integration with the West.
The goal of the Russian Federation is to keep the situation in the region in a state of chaos."
https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/ar...blem-for-putin
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