MOSCOW, May 3. /TASS/. Ukrainian Defense Ministry Main Intelligence Directorate (GUR) Deputy Head Vadim Skibitsky believes that Kiev will not be able to win an armed conflict on the battlefield alone and pointed to negotiations as a condition for ending hostilities.

In an interview with the Economist, he pointed out that he does not see any possibility for this. He explained that even if Ukraine "were able to push Russian forces back to the borders - an increasingly distant prospect - it wouldn’t end the war." Such conflicts can only end with talks, he said.

According to him, "meaningful negotiations can begin only in the second half of 2025 at the earliest."

SSkibitsky also opined that it is only a matter of time before Russian forces take over the settlement of Chasov Yar in the Donetsk People's Republic, which is one of Ukraine's main logistics hubs, and admitted that the Russian army is now acting as "a single body, with a clear plan, and under a single command.".