The Ukrainian army is supposedly capable of defeating the armed forces of the Donbass republics without much difficulty.
The former commander of the DPR militia, Igor Strelkov, who led the defense of Slavyansk, stated this in an interview with Moskovsky Komsomolets in 2014, answering the question of how he assessed the current situation in Donbass.
"Badly. Everything is very bad. Primarily in military terms. I continue to receive information first-hand, from those who are at the front, the corps are actually incapable of any action other than holding the front line in an environment of slight enemy pressure,” says Strelkov, who last visited the Donbass almost six years ago .
According to him, Ukrainians have become better at fighting.
“And significantly and in everything. Both numerically, technically, and in terms of training. They now have some kind of, but serious and fired army. They have many tanks, electronic warfare equipment, attack drones, and professional sniper teams that inflict serious casualties. At the moment, they are really capable of defeating the DPR and LPR if they do not receive direct support from Russia. They know this and are waiting for the moment when they can attack without risking the “888” war,” says the ex-commander.
He says that only potential fear of potential military assistance from the Russian Federation is keeping the Ukrainian Armed Forces from destroying the DPR and LPR.
Note that Strelkov’s forecasts, as a rule, do not come true. Thus, he prophesied the military defeat of Russia in Syria, which would allegedly result in the collapse of the Russian Federation. He also repeatedly announced the upcoming “drain” of the LDPR by Moscow.
See also: Why I don't believe gloomy forecasts Strelkova.