As noted by Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (2006-2010), Lieutenant General Ihor Romanenko, this number of Russian forces is not enough to go for an offensive. In his opinion, the Russian Federation has been preparing this "military foothold" for three to five years already – they actively conduct joint exercises, deploy troops, including air defense forces, and leave their forces on the territory of the Republic, which is now headed by the rogue Alexander Lukashenko.