If Donetsk falls to Putin, Kyiv will be next — Ukrainian serviceman

Yehor Firsov, Muramas unit commander, part of Ukraine's 3rd Army Corps, shared his opinions with Espreso TV.

“I feel that the war will not end by the late 2025, unfortunately. Why do I think this and why am I certain of it? I’ll put it this way: I have also encountered Putin — of course, it was a collective Putin, a more talkative one whom we face on the front lines. When you hear enemy intercepts, the tone of those conversations, see troops being redeployed from one direction to another, and speak with prisoners of war — all of this gives an understanding of the true motives of the enemy,” Firsov said.

According to the commander of the Muramas unit, Russia’s ultimate objective is the complete destruction of Ukraine. He stressed that regardless of what Vladimir Putin says about certain regions, concessions, or a supposed willingness to compromise, “No one trusts this Putin double we see on television. The reality is the opposite: their true aim is to seize and destroy Ukraine.”

"And, please note, this story is not about the Donetsk region at all. If we give up the Donetsk region, we will have to give up Dnipropetrovsk. After Dnipropetrovsk, it will be Poltava, and then Kyiv. Therefore, unfortunately, I do not feel that the war will end by the end of 2025.

I think we have come closer to peace, and some new configuration may emerge in 2026. Perhaps there will be some kind of theoretical pause then. But not in 2025. I think Putin will want to go into winter and try to put pressure on us, look for weak spots, and capture even more territory," Firsov emphasized.

• On Tuesday, August 26, U.S. President Donald Trump said that Russia is “posturing” in claiming that it allegedly would not sign an agreement with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.