Ukraine is preparing a ‘combat million’ to liberate the South
Oleksiy Reznikov, Minister of Defense of Ukraine, stated this in an interview with the British newspaper The Times. According to him, such an order was given by President Volodymyr Zelenskyi because coastal areas are vital for the country’s economy.
The Minister of Defense of Ukraine, giving the first interview since the start of the full-scale war to a British newspaper, noted that President Volodymyr Zelenskyi gave the order to de-occupy the southern part of Ukraine.
“Ukraine is amassing a million-strong fighting force equipped with Western weapons to take back its southern territory from Russia,” – The Times quoted Reznikov.
He adds that the occupied coastal territories should be returned as soon as possible because they are vital for the country’s economy.
“We understand that politically it is very necessary for our country. The president instructed the highest military leadership to develop a plan. Then the General Staff says what it needs to achieve this goal. And then it is my job. I am writing an appeal to colleagues from partner countries,” – says Reznikov.
In an interview with the American newspaper WSJ, Oleksiy Reznikov said that Ukraine “passed the test” by successfully using recently delivered American long-range artillery systems.
The minister noted that the need for such weapons continues to outstrip the demand of Ukrainians because the war is moving mainly to artillery battles. More weapons will be needed because Ukraine wants to win back the territories lost after the Russian invasion.
“We are waiting for more weapons from our partners. We need to restore some directions, update our fortifications and plan a new operational strategy,” – Reznikov said.
He added that the HIMARS installations “changed the rules”, allowing Ukraine to hit Russian troops in the northeastern city of Izyum.
“War is merciless… We need more, and we need them urgently. We needed to convince them, give them evidence. In the case of Izyum, we definitely hit the Russian air operations command center. It was really accurate. Our partners saw it and said : “You passed the test,” – said Reznikov.
As noted in the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, on July 8, the United States undertook to provide Ukraine with four additional highly mobile artillery missile systems (HIMARS) and ammunition.
In addition to long-range weapons, Ukraine’s list of needs includes more armed vehicles, including tanks, as well as more unmanned aerial vehicles or drones, especially as Ukraine ramps up naval operations to combat Russian ships located in the Black Sea.
