"It may take Russia months to seize Chasiv Yar": military expert Zgurets on probability of losing town

He spoke about this on the Espreso TV channel.

"Skibitskyi's statement that the loss of Chasiv Yar will be unavoidable should be interpreted a little differently. He says that everything will depend on the forces, means and reserves of the Ukrainian side. We should not say unequivocally that we are talking about the loss of Chasiv Yar. The enemy cannot push through in the areas it has prioritized in this direction. If the enemy is reinforced with reserves and artillery, I think it will take the enemy months to take Chasiv Yar. It is inappropriate to talk about any capture of this town as a predictable situation," Zgurets said.

According to him, in this area the Russian army can indeed act like it did near Avdiivka, when artillery and aviation were used to completely dismantle the defense structures of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

"Of course, later it is extremely difficult to defend what is completely destroyed. But in any case, Skibitskyi's interview with The Economist is aimed at the European and American audiences, among others. The point is that Europe must continue to provide stable support to Ukraine, otherwise this war will spread to NATO countries. Then it will be a much bigger challenge for the Alliance than what is now happening on the frontline in Ukraine," he added.

• Earlier, Vadym Skibitskyi, deputy head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry, said in an interview with The Economist that it was probably only a matter of time before Chasiv Yar would be occupied.
• Vadym Skibitskyi also suggested that Russia is preparing for an offensive in the Kharkiv and Sumy regions in late May or early June. However, in his opinion, it cannot take Kharkiv or Sumy.