Assault brigade commander: south, not Donbas, is decisive for war's outcome
Commander of the 1st Separate Assault Brigade, Dmytro Filatov, says the south — not Donbas — will be decisive for how the war against Russia ends. He also warned of possible Russian moves toward Odesa and Transnistria.
Dmytro "Perun" Filatov, commander of the 1st Separate Dmytro Kotsiubailo Assault Brigade, said in an interview with 24 Kanal that the Donbas front does not carry decisive strategic weight for the outcome of the war against Russia.
The south as priority
According to Filatov, Donbas largely serves Russia as a way to divert attention from other parts of the front. He argued that the truly important direction is the south, where Ukraine should aim to reach the Sea of Azov and cut off Russia's land corridor to occupied Crimea.
Significance of Crimea
The commander stressed that deoccupying Crimea could substantially weaken Russia's military capabilities and undermine the Kremlin's propaganda narrative about the war, making Crimea one of the key strategic goals of the conflict.
Warning of new threats
At the same time, Filatov noted that Russia still keeps significant forces in the south, which could be used for future offensives. He pointed to possible attempts to advance toward Odesa and Transnistria as a potential risk, even if occupying forces lacked the resources to seize large cities.
