Bagdasarov : The commander of the operation of the joint forces of Ukraine in the Donbas, Oleksandr Pavlyuk, announced a new “date for the invasion” of Russia – February 20 – and the direction from which, in his opinion, the offensive will begin. He spoke about this in an interview with the British newspaper The Times. “MK” asked the political scientist to comment on the statement of the Ukrainian general.
According to Pavlyuk, Russian troops will launch an offensive from the southeast. It is in this direction that the industrial defense enterprises of Ukraine are concentrated. He noted that in the event of an escalation of the conflict, Russia could establish control over the Dnieper (formerly Dnepropetrovsk), Kharkov and Odessa. The commander also announced that the day “X” would be February 20. It is this date, according to Pavlyuk, that is most suitable, since it is associated with the completion of the Olympic Games in Beijing and the end of the joint Russian-Belarusian exercises “Allied Resolve-2022”.
Russian political scientist, director of the Center for the Study of the Middle East and Central Asia, Semyon Bagdasarov, is convinced that the Ukrainian commander is deliberately escalating the situation.
There is absolutely no common sense in his words. What does Kharkov and Odessa have to do with it? If we assume that there will still be an armed conflict, then it will happen in the Donbas after the attack of the Ukrainian troops. And first of all, our troops will have to enter there in order to protect the civilian population and the citizens of their country. And then everything else.
– The Ukrainian commander connects the date of the “Russian invasion” with the end of the Beijing Olympics and the completion of our military exercises “Allied Resolve-2022” together with Belarus. Is there any logic in his words?
– The date of the “invasion”, as Pavlyuk put it, should be based on information obtained from reliable sources, and not be tied to the Olympic Games. I think he voiced it simply to blurt something out about “aggressive Russia”. If they were sure in Kiev that Russia would “invade” from the Kharkov or Odessa directions, then they would concentrate their troops there. But half of the Ukrainian army is drawn to the Donbass, where most of the armored forces, and multiple rocket launchers and artillery. It turns out that Pavlyuk contradicts himself. I am sure that, in fact, Ukraine is preparing to attack the Donbass. They are still professional military, and not just balabols.
What is the purpose of such statements?
– I think this is a special stuffing of information. Ukraine is escalating the situation even more in order to justify its strike on Donbass later.
Read Also : The honored pilot called the main problems of Russian aviation: amateurism and corruption
Follow us on Google News Asia Times Now page for faster updates.
