Analysts interviewed by Al Jazeera say there appears to be "a high level of collaboration between the Ukrainian military and partisans," who have provided Ukraine's forces with information about Russian troops and the situation in the occupied territories. According to experts, the rebels are mostly focused on three basic tasks: destroying the Russian army’s weapons and supply lines, passing information to the Ukrainian military and demoralizing the occupying forces.
“The most visible partisan activity involves targeting and assassinating local collaborators and pro-Russian activists, as well as attacks on various ‘night patrols’ involving Russian troops,” Alexander Lanoszka, an assistant professor of international relations at the University of Waterloo, said.