Russia does not plan to "limit itself to Donbas" but wants the complete destruction of Ukraine – Ukrainian Chief Intelligence Directorate
VALENTYNA ROMANENKO - MONDAY 4 JULY 2022, 10:28
According to the Ukrainian Defence Ministry's Chief Intelligence Directorate, the Kremlin is not going to limit its aspirations to Donbas and is planning the complete annihilation of Ukraine.
Source: Kyrylo Budanov, head of the Ukrainian Defence Ministry's Chief Intelligence Directorate, in an interview with RBC-Ukraine
Details: Commenting on international partners' intelligence data, Budanov said that the Chief Intelligence Directorate is guided by its own information, and that Russia's goal is the complete destruction of Ukraine's statehood.
Quote from Budanov: "Once again I would like to reiterate that we were the ones who were the first to say what would happen and how it would happen. So I can tell you irrefutably that Russia's plans are the total annihilation of Ukraine, the absolute total annihilation.
And [as for] any insinuations about whether Donbas might be enough for them, please don't even ask me questions like that. We will not trade territory."
Background: On 3 July, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said that after heavy fighting, the Ukrainian Defence Forces had withdrawn from their positions and lines in Lysychansk, Luhansk Oblast.
On 4 July, British intelligence reported that Russian troops would almost certainly switch to capturing Donetsk Oblast now that Lysychansk has been seized.
