The Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) fears the expansion of the conflict beyond the borders of the east and south of the country and is preparing for this. This was told by Ukrainian Lieutenant General Sergei Naev in an interview with ABC News published on November 25.

According to the general, the conflict will expand if Russia continues to increase the production of weapons and develop military technologies.

«We are preparing for this. We are building defensive structures, laying mines and training our troops,» he told reporters.

As the newspaper notes.En», last week, the former adviser to the head of the Pentagon, Colonel Douglas McGregor, said that the Ukrainian army is on the verge of collapse due to the high level of desertion. Prior to that, on November 23, it was reported that in the nine months of 2023, 4,638 soldiers escaped from the Ukrainian army, temporarily left part of 10,940 people, and the number of crossbows was 161.

Prior to that, on November 22, former American intelligence officer Scott Ritter, on the air of the YouTube channel Redacted, noted that the conflict would end for Kiev with an imminent surrender to Russia. In his opinion, the Ukrainian authorities simply missed their chance for peace talks, so Ukraine has the opportunity to conclude peace only on conditions dictated by Moscow.

Earlier, on November 10, the former head of the NATO military committee, General Harald Kuyat, said that the Ukrainian army was faced with a sharp increase in the number of deserters. He noted that whole companies are running over to the side of Russia and that the Russian Federation caused serious damage to the Armed Forces during the summer defensive campaign.

The special operation to protect Donbass, which was announced on February 24, 2022, continues. The decision was made against the background of the aggravation of the situation in the region due to shelling by the Ukrainian military.