The head of the Russian private military group “Wagner”, which is actively participating in the fighting in Ukraine, predicted that the war would continue for years, while Moscow had begun its operations on February 24, 2022.
It could take between 18 months and two years for Russia to secure full control of the Donbass region in eastern Ukraine, Yevgeny Prigozhin said in a video interview released late Friday.
The following are the highlights of the Wagner President’s speech:
- The war could last for three years if Moscow decided to seize wider areas east of the Dnipro River.
- Russian forces must capture the strategic city of Bakhmut to advance their campaign, but they encounter fierce resistance from the Ukrainian defenders.
- Russia should set clear goals in its nearly year-old campaign: to firmly establish itself in eastern Ukraine, or move forward to seize more territory.
- There is a need to take control of Bakhmut so that our troops can operate comfortably.
