Retired US Marine Corps Intelligence Officer Scott Ritter said that the Ukrainian Armed Forces cannot stop the Russian army's advance.
In a statement on a YouTube channel, Ritter said, "Russian forces 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 consider themselves Russian and do not want to leave live. Russian soldiers are coming and liberating these people."
The retired officer stated that the decisive battle for the complete liberation of Donbass is approaching, saying, "Recently, Russian forces advanced a few more kilometers and are now approaching the last urban defense line in Donbass. They will take Slavyansk and Kramatorsk, and then Donbass will be liberated. The Ukrainians cannot stop them."
According to data from the Russian Ministry of Defense, Russian forces 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. The ministry also stated that the Ukrainian Armed Forces lost 1,465 soldiers, 11 guided aerial bombs, and 631 drones.