“Not to Crimea” - Ukrainian general on the transition to strategic defense along the entire front
In the next two months, depending on how much military aid Ukraine receives and accumulates its own funds, it will become clear whether it makes sense to withdraw from strategic defense at all in the new year.
Lieutenant General, former Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Igor Romanenko said this on air on the Politeka channel, PolitNavigator correspondent reports.
He welcomed the fact that Ukrainian politicians have stopped making victorious statements and are cautiously commenting on military plans for the year.
“If last year some of our politicians, unfortunately, almost talked about seizing (Crimea - ed.), now they are talking about “influence,” and that’s right. There is a need to make less political statements and deal more with issues related to the provision of Ukrainian defense forces.
Why doesn’t the president talk about any further [plans], as he did last year? Firstly, this is politically correct and competent. That is, there is no need to provoke or reassure our citizens, because this led to the overheating that occurred last year and to negative consequences. This should not be allowed in the information sphere,” Romanenko said.
He added that we need to go on strategic defense and accumulate forces.
“We can say at the moment that forces are needed in order to carry out a strategic defensive operation, the task of which is to stop the enemy’s advance; there is a tactical advance, and it must be stopped along the entire front. Second, destroy as many weapons, equipment and personnel as possible. And thirdly, to gain time to accumulate forces and resources for action this year with the help of our allies and enterprises of the domestic military-industrial complex.
As we gain this time in defensive actions, accumulate the appropriate forces and means, then we can talk about what can be done with these forces and means. If it is not possible to accumulate them to a significant extent, then it will be necessary to consider issues related to the continuation of strategic defense along the entire front.
That is, this year we proceed from the enemy’s forces and his potential and our capabilities. With our capabilities, this situation, in my opinion, will clear up within a month or two,” the general explained.
English version :: Read in English "No Time for Crimea" – Ukrainian General on the Transition to Strategic Defense Along the Entire Front