It is more important than ever for Ukraine to organize various measures to develop mutually beneficial interstate and international cooperation. Ukrainian troops will continue to defeat the enemy and obtain new trophies and victories.

Valery Ryabykh of Defence Express is a volunteer military journalist who has been systematically covering issues of military-industrial policy and military-technical cooperation, events in the security and defence sector of Ukraine and information about new global arms trends for 19 years. Valery gave Front News Ukraine an assessment of the situation on the military, ideological and diplomatic fronts.

- Valery, what conclusions should be drawn from this morning's data on the military situation?

VR: In all areas, the Ukrainian defenders hold the line and cut off those "tentacles" that were launched by Russia along the main highways on the borders with Russia and Belarus. The situation on the fronts is stable. This position allows the defenders of Ukraine to prevent the enemy from seizing important strategic facilities. Preventing the strategic tasks of the Russian Armed Forces is another accomplished task of our army. The distance to which the Ukrainian troops have pushed back the aggressor does not allow it to conduct artillery shelling of Kiev. Blockaded Mariupol suffers under the aggressor's oppression, and even in such a situation the defenders hold the line, and the administration helps with the evacuation of civilians.

It is also worth noting that the defenders of the sky were able to repel the attacks from the first day, remain resilient and able to defend themselves. The enemy, having lost the initiative in the air, is reducing activity and taking casualties on land. The losses of the aggressor are incomparable to any losses on the territory of other nations. British Intelligence estimates that Ukrainian air defense and air  forces are successfully defending our airspace and continue to destroy Russian plans in the air. This is very important because the enemy is being destroyed methodically, using high-precision weapons. The initiative is intercepted, the subsequent battles will follow the Ukrainian scenario.

- How do you view the position in the confrontation on the ideological front? What is the situation now on the side of strengthening the volunteer movement?

VR: We can observe a revealing situation. Instead of solving their personal problems Ukrainians are engaged in a common cause. Logistical deliveries and humanitarian aid are fine-tuned. This is an indicator that our country cannot be beaten. In this respect we are in a number of advanced European countries. And these states consistently demonstrate that it is impossible to live without volunteering, both in wartime and in peacetime. Ukraine, thus, clearly identifies itself with the European cultural environment.

Russia is trying to save the regime as much as possible under these conditions, they are raising the age limit for mobilization to 63 years old. The criminal leadership erases moral barriers. It goes to the involvement of minors - the Yunarmia. Young brains are very susceptible to propaganda appeals. We see the dominance of state television, the restriction of access to information on the Internet. I do not rule out that many of these ideologically poisoned young people will respond to the calls of war criminals and join the ranks of those who lay their heads on Ukrainian soil.

- We see enormous pressure on the enemy both from the military and strong resistance from citizens in populated areas. How effective are economic sanctions in pressuring the enemy? How long would it take joint efforts to finally stop the bombing and shelling of Ukrainian cities?

VR: Sanctions will always be considered by us as insufficiently effective. We cannot hope for adequate action and solutions from those in the Kremlin. Their policy is self-destructive. Ukraine should continue to show the world all the horrors of war and reveal the extent of the destruction caused. Fortunately, many countries in Europe and the United States understand the threat of this evil spreading. Sanctions have already become effective. The next stage of sanctions is to consider the prohibition of any trade with the Russian aggressor. It is necessary to block all possible routes of economic communication. This will completely exclude the Russian Federation from the international field of trade relations.

We will continue until the pressure on Russian society is unbearable. Despite 15 years of propaganda, Russians have actively traveled abroad and spent their money there. They are used to comfort and human treatment. Now they will feel the deterioration of their own well-being and the switch to low-quality Russian goods. Perhaps this will sober them up, reduce their desire to boast of "might" and their desire to "repeat".

According to Russian economists, if the dynamics of using reserve funds is maintained, it will be enough to function for two months maximum. Economic collapse will occur there. The Russian side understands this and is looking for ways to circumvent sanctions at the expense of other countries. First of all, Kazakhstan, Central Asian countries, China and the Asia-Pacific region.

We all need to be on our guard and make waves in the information space of these countries. Warn these countries about the risk of international sanctions being extended.

Evil will be punished. A country that is a systemic violator of international obligations will be excluded from the number of states that have the deciding vote in the UN.

David Obukhov
Front News Ukraine