Putin promises to give Transcarpathia to Orban as loyal ally - former Aidar battalion commander

Former platoon commander of the Aidar battalion Yevhen Dykyi said this on the Espreso TV channel.

"The question of Ukraine's existence today is as acute as it was in 2022. Our enemy hasn't changed its goals. The Russians aim to occupy the entire territory of Ukraine and completely eliminate Ukraine as a state, along with Ukrainians as a nation. Regarding territories, judging from several signs, I don't exclude that Transcarpathia was promised to Orban as a loyal ally. And all other Ukrainian territories are designated by the Russians as a Federal District. Currently, the occupiers have removed their masks and openly state that their goal is the final resolution of the Ukrainian issue. And this is used in the sense introduced by Adolf Hitler in his time. That is, the Russians no longer hide that they've come for genocide," noted Dykyi.

According to the former platoon commander of the Aidar battalion, Russia's goal remains unchanged, but the capabilities have shifted. In 2022, the Russians didn't believe we were capable of real resistance. Then the enemy saw us as a serious adversary, and Russia escalated into a large-scale war, conducting the largest mobilization since World War II, shifting defense to operate in three shifts.

"We can still win, we haven't exhausted our capabilities, while the Russians are wearing down and depleting theirs. But to win, we must behave as we did in 2022. Back then, we all lived through this war, and that's when we began to prevail. However, in 2023, we became complacent. Ukrainians need to change their attitude towards the war," emphasized Dykyi.

• Russian President Vladimir Putin is trying to limit information for Russian citizens in order to reduce the level of domestic criticism.
• The EU approved the 13th package of sanctions against Russia. Restrictive measures were imposed on 106 individuals and 88 legal entities involved in undermining Ukraine's sovereignty.