Rudskoy’s remarks come as Russia’s progress seems to have stalled around major Ukrainian cities such as Kyiv and Kharkov. Russia has also failed to achieve air supremacy in Ukraine and has suffered heavy personnel losses since the invasion began. “The public and individual experts are wondering what we are doing in the area of the excluded Ukrainian cities,” Rudskoi said. “These actions are carried out with the aim of causing such damage to military infrastructure, equipment, personnel of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the results of which allow us not only to tie their forces and prevent them from strengthening their team in Donbas. “But it will also not allow them to do so until the Russian army has completely liberated the territories of the DPR and the LNR.” Rudskoi referred to the Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics, autonomous territories in eastern Ukraine that Russia recognized on the eve of its invasion. Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that the goal of what Russian officials euphemistically refer to as a “special military operation” in Ukraine is the complete demilitarization of the country. Putin said the war was going according to plan, but that Russian forces had suffered heavy casualties: Rudinsky told the same source that 1,351 soldiers had been killed and 3,825 wounded in Ukraine. US, NATO and Ukrainian officials estimate that the number of Russian victims is much higher. “Initially, we did not plan to attack them to prevent disaster and to minimize casualties between staff and civilians,” Rudinsky said. “And while we do not rule out such a possibility, however, as individual groups complete the tasks that have been set and successfully resolved, our forces and resources will be concentrated on the main thing – the full liberation of Donbass.” It is unknown at this time what he will do after leaving the post. The Russian military has said it does not target civilians or residential areas, despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary.
