This opinion was expressed to the "Observer" by the First Deputy Chairman of the Union of Officers of Ukraine Yevgeny Lupakov.

Answering the question whether the Kremlin can make Ukraine a "gift" in the Donbass for the New Year holidays, he assured: "There will be no big offensive. Putin has already lost the opportunity for a big offensive. It could be carried out a year ago, or - a maximum - six months ago ".

According to Lupakov, the main reason is the sanctioning pressure on Russia, as a result of which "Putin was so caught up that there is nowhere else to go". "To strengthen sanctions to him to anything," - he is convinced.

At the same time, Lupakov admitted that in the war zone in the east of Ukraine, it is possible to "probe" the capabilities of the Ukrainian army. "They threw Russian special forces, paratroopers, marines or Chechens - fighting intensified, they shot there and then," he admitted..

"But he does not have the strength to conduct active operations on the whole front, only in certain areas. He is already exhaling, "Lupakov assured..

And he added: "But I'm most worried about when his environment is exhausted, which will bang him and this will close the question".