Shoigu: Ukraine has “suffered significant losses” and it is time to “liberate Donbas” again

Valentyna Romanenko – Tuesday, 29 March 2022, 12:45

Sergey Shoigu, the Minister of Defence of the Russian Federation, stated on Tuesday that "the main tasks of the first stage of the Russian Federation’s special operation have been completed, and this allows us to focus our efforts on our main goal – the liberation of Donbas."

Source: Sergey Shoigu during a conference call on 29 March, cited in Interfax Russia

According to Shoigu: "First, regarding the course of the special military operation of the Russian Armed Forces on the territory of Ukraine. In general, the main tasks of the first stage of the operation have been completed. The combat potential of the Armed Forces of Ukraine has been significantly reduced."

Details: According to the Russian Defence Minister, Russian troops "gained control over the air, and virtually destroyed the Ukrainian Air Force and its air defence system."

Shoigu also said that Ukraine’s navy has "ceased to exist."

Background: Today is the 34th day of the heroic resistance of the Ukrainian people against the Russian military invasion. Russian troops are shelling Kyiv, Kharkiv, and Luhansk, and continue to destroy Chernihiv. In the Donetsk region, Ukrainian troops are steadfastly repelling attacks by the Russian forces.

The Ukrainian Defence Forces are holding the enemy back on all fronts. In some areas, Ukrainian soldiers have begun to counter-attack and push back the Russian troops.

On 28 March, the Ukrainian Air Force (which, according to Shoigu, is almost non-existent) destroyed 17 Russian air targets: 8 planes, 3 helicopters, 4 UAVs, and 2 cruise missiles.

Earlier: On the night of 24 February 2022, the Russian Federation insidiously attacked Ukraine from the territory of Belarus; Russian troops began advancing from the Belarusian border into Ukraine on several fronts. Putin called this military invasion a "special operation." The Russian leadership first falsely described its ultimate goal as "helping the Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics," and then as the "liberation of Ukraine from [unspecified] Nazis." Later on, Russia began spreading the misinformation that Ukraine is allegedly developing "ethnically targeted biological weapons" and even "nuclear weapons."

Russia is violating the rules of war by shelling civilian infrastructure and civilians in Ukraine.