The moment for Russia's collapse has come – Budanov

Head of the Defense Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense, Kyrylo Budanov, said that everyone would see and feel the counteroffensive of Ukrainian troops in the near future, and now is the time for the collapse of the Russian aggressor state.

Budanov said this in an interview for ABC News on April 13.

Budanov emphasized the ability of the Ukrainian military to succeed in the future counteroffensive. According to him, the widely publicized winter offensive of the invaders brought significant losses and minimal gains to the Russians. Budanov predicted "seismic changes" in the aggressor state, which, in his opinion, will play a role in ending Putin's war in favor of Ukraine.

"What will be the results of these actions? I think that, in the near future, everyone will see and feel it. Borders can be changed. This is an artificially created mistake, and now is the time for that country to fall apart," Budanov emphasized.

However, the head of Defense Intelligence noted that the success of the counteroffensive is extremely necessary not only for Ukrainians but also for their allies, who supply weapons and ammunition. According to the publication, Budanov promised to return to the Crimean Peninsula and mocked Putin's "not too veiled" nuclear threats.

As reported by Ukrainian News Agency, on February 23, in the temporarily occupied Crimea, the address of Budanov was broadcast, and the Ukrainian national anthem was played.

On February 17, Vadim Skibitskyi, the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, said that the Kremlin is aware of the inevitability of the de-occupation of the Crimean Peninsula, which will once again become a popular Ukrainian resort.

In January, Budanov said that Ukraine should do everything to de-occupy the illegally annexed Crimea by Russia by the summer of 2023.