Retired US Marine Corps Intelligence Officer Scott Ritter told the Russian state news agency that the Ukrainian Armed Forces are unable to stop the Russian army's advance.
Speaking on a YouTube channel, Ritter said, "Russian troops are really showing strength right now; they are seriously squeezing the Ukrainians. As the Russians advance, they are liberating one settlement after another where Russian-speaking people who see themselves as Russian and do not want to leave live. Russian soldiers come and rescue these people."
The retired officer stated that the decisive battle for the complete liberation of Donbass is approaching, saying, "Recently, Russian troops advanced several more kilometers and are now approaching the last urban defense line remaining in Donbass. They will take Slavyansk and Kramatorsk, then Donbass will be liberated. The Ukrainians cannot stop them."
According to data from the Russian Ministry of Defense, Russian troops carried out a major retaliatory strike on defense industry and energy facilities in Kiev and the Kiev region in the last 24 hours. The ministry reported that the strike was carried out in response to the Kiev regime's terrorist attacks on civilian infrastructure on Russian territory.
The ministry announced that long-range high-precision weapons launched from air, land, and sea, as well as attack drones, were used to hit the targets. It also stated that the Ukrainian Armed Forces lost 1,465 soldiers, 11 guided aerial bombs, and 631 drones.