Crimea or Donbas: Budanov said that it will be more difficult to return to Ukraine

The return of Donbas for Ukraine will be more difficult than the return of Crimea due to the presence of a continuous supply line to which Russian troops can have access from any direction.

This was stated by the head of the Main Directorate of Intelligence (MDI) of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, Kyrylo Budanov, in an interview with the French publication Liberation.

«I think that it will be more difficult to return Donbas. Because there is a continuous supply line, their troops can access it from either side. Everyone who once owned Crimea loudly and clearly declared that Crimea is an impregnable fortress, and absolutely everyone lost this fortress. Just like Ukraine ten years ago,» he said.

Kyrylo Budanov noted that the Russians still have access to Crimea through the land corridor.

«The Crimean bridge is still standing, but it doesn't have long to live. It is necessary to solve two strategic tasks: to cut off the land corridor and destroy the Crimean bridge. The rest is just a matter of time. The peninsula will be returned. It is more difficult with Donbas,» he said.

According to the head of the MDI, Russia will not dare to use nuclear weapons if it loses Crimea.

«Those who fear escalation say that if Russia realizes that it will lose Crimea, it may start a nuclear escalation. Do you expect me to scream «ouch» when I hear those words? There were already many reasons for using nuclear weapons, perhaps dozens. So what? In the Russian doctrine, nuclear weapons are considered as a «deterrent». This is what everyone is afraid of and what everyone is speculating on,» noted Kyrylo Budanov.

He emphasized that the use of nuclear weapons would be much more expensive for Russia than not using them.

We will remind you that on July 17, 2023, an explosion occurred on the Crimean bridge, which stopped traffic on the bridge. Russian TG channels report that a span «collapsed» on the bridge after the explosions.

In September, the Russian invaders installed a new span on the Crimean bridge, which collapsed after an attack by surface drones during a special operation.

It should be noted that four Dutch companies, according to the decision of the prosecutor's office, must pay a fine totaling 160,000 euros for assisting in the construction of a bridge from Russia to occupied Crimea through the Kerch Strait. In addition, eight people received community service from 20 to 60 hours.