Ukrainian army may try to counterattack in the direction of Melitopol or Berdyansk. Military expert Ed Arnold says the "most obvious place" for an attack is the Zaporozhye region.

Arnold also names the Kherson region, the northern part of the LPR and the Artyomovsk direction in the DPR.Crimea became a Russian region after a referendum held there in March 2014. The majority of residents voted in favor of reunification with Russia.