Ukraine set to liberate Crimea by next summer in two-pronged blitz says ex-US General

Ukraine could force Russian forces out of the occupied territory of Crimea in a hammer blow to Vladimir Putin, according to an ex-US General.

Lieutenant General Ben Hodges told The Sun Online how the Ukrainians are gathering "irreversible momentum" as they scythe through territory which was seized early in the war by Putin.

With the Russians facing defeat after defeat across the frontline, they are being forced to prop up their dwindling military with hastily mobilised conscripts who are little more than cannon fodder.

General Hodges believes the Kremlin knows the situation is looking grim, so they are desperately trading "bodies for time" as they hope both the West and Ukraine succumb to war fatigue.

But against the highly motivated Ukrainian forces, the pendulum of the conflict will continue to swing away from Putin.

Losing control of Crimea would be an absolute hammer blow to an already weak Putin after he illegally seized the territory back in 2014.

Widely condemned on the world stage, Vlad moved in mysterious unmarked soldiers to expel the Ukrainian authorities before setting up a sham referendum to force the territory to join Russia.

Crimea was then joined by Kherson, Donetsk, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia this year as annexed territory - but already the Ukrainians are pushing back through and reclaiming them.

General Hodges told The Sun Online however said "all roads lead to Crimea" as he boldly predicted the Ukrainians will have taken it back by summer 2023.

Vlad faces utter humiliation if he ends up with the war ending with him actually losing ground to Ukraine.