OREANDA-NEWS Russia is winning the battle for Donbass and in the short term, its troops will advance in the region, General Dominique Trinquan, former head of the French military mission to the UN in New York, told France Info radio station. According to him, this is evidenced by the capture of Mariupol and the establishment of a connection between Crimea and Donbass.

"And the advance of the Russian troops forward in the Donbass will continue, with difficulty, slowly, but will continue," the military expert said.

Earlier, State Duma deputy Anatoly Wasserman said that the destruction of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Donbass would be a turning point in Russia's actions in Ukraine. According to him, the Armed Forces of Ukraine have accumulated a huge reserve of forces in preparation for an attack on the Donbass, and these forces will not be enough to defend the rest of Ukraine. Meanwhile, Kyiv continues massive shelling of civilians and the support system of Donbass, although in the current conditions it would be more logical to fire on Russian troops and the militia of the people's republics. Wasserman suggested that Kyiv still hopes to intimidate Russia and the Donbass republics with destruction and losses.