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Former U.S. General Ben Hodges, who served as commanding general of the United States Army Europe until 2018, has said that Russia could be defeated by the end of the year, reports The Times.
Hodges said that the Russian lines are collapsing, and Ukraine is regaining its strength to fight back.
“Based on all the things we are seeing, it has the feeling of a collapse, at least in the Donbas area, and I do believe the Russians will be pushed beyond the February 23 line by the end of the year,” he said.
According to Hodges, Ukraine may be able to recapture Crimea if they retake Kherson. However, he said that re-occupying the peninsula would take a much longer time.
Meanwhile, Russia now seems to be aggressively strengthening its position in Ukraine. Its Defense Ministry has appointed Air Force General Sergei Surovikin as the commander of Russian forces fighting in Ukraine.
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The Times quoted Franz-Stefan Gady, a research fellow at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, saying that it is a race against time for Ukraine to seize as much territory as possible before the onset of winter and before better-trained Russian reinforcements reach the front line.
According to the report, other experts say that the Ukrainian victory before 2023 is “impossible.”
On Saturday, an explosion damaged the Kerch bridge, which links Russia and the Crimea peninsula, paralyzing a critical supply route for Russian forces in Ukraine.
NATO has reportedly warned its members that Russian President Vladimir Putin may test a massive nuclear torpedo called Poseidon.
Photo: Courtesy of ΝΕΑ ΔΗΜΟΚΡΑΤΙΑ on Flickr
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Image and article originally from www.benzinga.com. Read the original article here.