Former CIA director expects chain reaction effect from AFU’s progress on front

The relevant statement was made by General David Petraeus, Commander of the U.S. Central Command in 2008-2010, Director of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency in 2011-2012, during the Kyiv Security Forum, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

According to Petraeus, Russians did not distinguish themselves by particularly impressive battlefield expertise but established formidable defenses, and the fighting is very hard.

Meanwhile, in his words, Ukrainian forces are adapting to tactics on the ground very impressively, and their reactions have been truly admirable.

Ukraine’s Defense Forces are keeping Russians stretched out all along the front line and not letting them concentrate in one place.

Ukrainian warriors are creating conditions for further progress by striking Russian ammunition and fuel depots, air and sea bases in Crimea, and logistics lines.

Petraeus mentioned that, with Western artillery systems, Ukrainian forces can now outrange Russian systems.

In his opinion, certain conditions are being created on the battlefield, and at some point the Armed Forces of Ukraine will be able to strike with the reserve forces available.

“All of this is beginning to accumulate, and the question is when do the Russian forces begin to crumble, and when do they crack, and then how effectively can Ukraine take advantage of that to get within range of these critical lines of communications that run along the southeastern and southern part of Ukraine, and can you cut off Crimea […], ideally even take down the Kerch Strait Bridge. If that can be done, then you have the Russian forces in a pretty perilous situation,” Petraeus concluded.

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