The Ukrainian Defence Forces will be able to take Crimea without a fight, Defence Minister Oleksiy Reznikov has told The Atlantic.
"Knowing that Crimea is being built into a fortress, the Ukrainians talk about the 'political military' liberation of Crimea, not a purely military counteroffensive," the website said.
Once Ukrainian troops have cut off the roads, railroads, and waterways to the peninsula, and targeted the military infrastructure with drones, the presumption is that many Russian inhabitants, especially recent immigrants, will become convinced that they would be better off living somewhere else.
Some have reportedly fled already, following an explosion on the Kerch Strait Bridge (which connects Crimea to Russia) and other explosions on the peninsula.
"Crimea we will take without a fight," Reznikov told The Atlantic.
Earlier, Reznikov said that Russia could make another "gesture of goodwill" under the pretext of a man-made disaster in its country. He added that the Kremlin was already looking for possible scenarios to justify another success of the Ukrainian army for its society.