Invasion of Ukraine: Russia now aims to take full control of southern Ukraine as well as the eastern Donbas region

[Sukla Sen]

So, just about two months after the launch of the brutal and massive invasion, the original aim of "de-militarisation" and "de-Nazification" of (all of) Ukraine now undergoes its first formal revision?

<<Russia is aiming to take full control of southern Ukraine as well as the eastern Donbas region, a senior Russian commander says. [Emphasis in original.]

Maj Gen Rustam Minnekayev was quoted in state media as saying that goal would allow Moscow to form a land bridge to Crimea, which it annexed in 2014.

He also said it would give Moscow access to the Russian-backed separatist region of Transnistria in Moldova.

Transnistria is a small region that borders Ukraine's west.

It is unclear if Gen Minnekayev's comments were officially sanctioned by the Kremlin, but they were widely cited in Russian state media including the Interfax and Tass news agencies.

Russian defence officials told the BBC's Steve Rosenberg that they were "looking into" the general's comments, which - if confirmed - offer the first insight into Russia's potential plans in the coming weeks.>>

(Excerpted from: <https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-61188943.amp>.)

 <<This [control over Donbass] will enable us to establish a ground corridor to Crimea and to gain influence over the vitally-important Ukrainian [military] facilities, the Black Sea ports, which service deliveries of the agricultural and metallurgical products to other countries," the general said at an annual meeting of the Union of Defense Industry Enterprises of the Sverdlovsk Region.

Minnekayev added that the special military operation "must be successfully accomplished," adding that all set tasks would be achieved.

"We did not start this war, but we will put an end to it," he added.>>

(Excerpted from: <https://tass.com/world/1441591>.)