Former Commander of the US Army in Europe General Ben Hodgeshaving previously stated that the Ukrainian Defense Forces should first of all block the Russians’ paths to the occupied Crimea, called the liberation of the occupied peninsula the most important task.
“Ukraine will never be safe as long as Russia occupies Crimea. The world will not invest in the reconstruction of Ukraine until there are full security guarantees (and this assumes that Russia will no longer occupy Crimea). That is, Russia will disrupt or block the delivery of goods to the Sea of Azov and from there. Yes, how she does it now. And, of course, Russia will block the sea routes to and from Odessa. This means that the main efforts should be focused on the liberation of Crimea”- he said in an interview with journalist Andrei Tsaplienko.
According to the general, the Armed Forces of Ukraine must make sure that the Black Sea Fleet and the Air Force can no longer be in Crimea and drones are not launched from the peninsula. This can be helped by high-precision strikes from long distances.
“I would recommend that the General Staff and the government in Kyiv clearly define the fact that Crimea is the goal. Donbass is important. But let the Russians continue to kill themselves in the Donbas while the Ukrainians are gathering forces to liberate Crimea. And let’s focus on what it takes to get it done.he stressed.
According to him, the Ukrainians should not throw their forces “in the middle of the battle for Bakhmut”, but wisely send them in the direction of Melitopol and Mariupol in order to cut off the land bridge. And then pull up more HIMARS and begin to strike at the places of concentration of Russian troops on the territory of the peninsula.
“Donbass will return later. It could happen as early as this summer. But we need to decide why Crimea is a decisive factor. This is not just about sovereignty, about symbolism or about emotions. This must be done with a cold heart.”says Ben Hodges and adds: “Crimea is the most important moment. Not Donbass.
According to the American general, the Pentagon is making a mistake by insisting on the provision of certain types of weapons to push back the Russians. “Don’t push them back. They themselves will move away as soon as they lose the Crimea.Hodges concluded.
Recall that the adviser to the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valery Zaluzhny, General Viktor Nazarov, noted that the war with Russia could last another year, it must end with the victory of Ukraine on the battlefield.
Pixabay Photos
Source: Fakty
I am Joseph Zeman, a journalist who mostly covers world news for the Daily News Hack. I pride myself on being able to find and report stories that others might miss. I have a knack for being able to see both sides of every issue and this allows me to provide readers with well-rounded stories. In addition to my work as a journalist, I am also an author and have written several books on current affairs.
