The Russian general on the "final battle" in the war: That's how it will be

Russia's invasion of Ukraine
The Russian general on the "final battle" in the war: That's how it will be

John Edgar

Published 00.26

A final battle for Ukraine.

Then you stand victorious before the new year.

This is stated by the Russian general Apti Alaudinov on television.

- Everything is going according to plan.

Quick version

• Russian General Apti Alaudinov, commander of the Chechen forces in Ukraine, claims that Russia must decide the war in Ukraine before the New Year.
•  According to Alaudinov, Russia has made important progress in its offensive around Ukraine's second largest city, Kharkiv.
• The general also believes that NATO will cease to exist in its current form by 2030 at the latest, and predicts that several countries will swear allegiance to Russia instead.

The general, commander of the Chechen forces in Ukraine and a close ally of President Putin, makes the revelations on the 60 Minutes news program on state television.

Alaudinov believes that Russia has made an "important breakthrough" in the offensive around Ukraine's second largest city, Kharkiv.

General Apti Alaudinov was promoted by Putin last spring. Photo: Sergey Guneev/Ria Novosti/Sputnik

The offensive decisive

A little over a month ago, Russian forces opened a new front in the war by crossing the border from the north.

He gets questions from the presenter Olga Skabeyeva, who together with her politician husband is under sanctions from the West, about why the offensive has slowed down and is going sluggishly.

But the general has a different picture.

He believes that "large areas have been liberated" and that Ukraine has been forced to transfer large parts of its troop strength from the front in the east, he says on television according to Newsweek.

Alaudinov states that the battles in Kharkiv are decisive for Russian victory in the war.

Smoke covers the sky after an attack in Kharkiv last month. Photo: Evgeniy Maloletka/AP

"Going according to plan"

- We will crush their remaining troops and assets. After that, we can end the special military operation during the year, he says.

- Everything is going according to plan. It will be decided with a final battle where I think we will emerge victorious.

It was during the beginning of May that Russian troops poured over the border near the million-strong city of Kharkiv. In a first stage, a number of border villages in the region were captured.

Putin's goal is considered to be to force connections from south to north to Kharkiv. Photo: Minh Hoang/AP

Western observers do not believe that Putin's goal is to capture the city - but to force Ukraine to transfer troops that are really needed to the south.

- Russia lacks the power to take Kharkiv, but that does not seem to be the goal. The Russian attack is likely aimed at moving Ukrainian military reserves there and pinning them there to enable offensive action in Donetsk, analyst Michael Kofman told The Guardia.

            

The Ukrainian National Guard intercepts a "vampire drone" at the front in Kharkiv. Photo:  Evgeniy Maloletka / AP

Think NATO will disappear

Alaudinov, who was promoted by Putin last spring, has his sights set on more than a victory in Ukraine.

Earlier this spring, he said on Russian television that NATO "will have ceased to exist in its current form" by 2030 at the lates.

- Most of these countries, which today run after the United States like city rakes, will kneel down, swear an oath of allegiance to Russia and plead to be accepted in our coalition, the general said at the time.

Ukrainian artillery in Kharkiv. Photo: Evgeniy Maloletka / AP