GUR: Putin orders Russian troop commander in Ukraine to seize Donbass by March

Andriy Yusov, spokesman for the Ukrainian Defence Ministry's Main Directorate of Intelligence, has said on the FREEDOM TV channel:

All the same, we can talk about the priority direction for the Russians - it is Donbass. And the next terms he defines already for Gerasimov, say, as the new head of the war against Ukraine, is the goal of capturing Donbass and forming a certain security zone, well, already before March.

Yusov noted that Putin's goal is the destruction of Ukrainians as a separate people and nation, the destruction of Ukraine as an independent state.

Yusov reassured that the occupiers' plans will not be implemented:

One year they have been "taking Kiev for 3 days". Well, in general, however, new goals and new objectives. Nothing will be achieved this time either.

Yusov also said that intelligence has information about indications that the Russian occupation army is preparing an offensive in the Zaporizhzhya direction:

This may indicate both direct preparation for offensive actions on the part of the enemy and certain deceptive actions in order to conduct an information campaign and, let's say, hide their true intentions in other directions of the front. All information is monitored and relevant conclusions and measures are taken by the Ukrainian Defence Forces.