Ministry of Defence unsure whether Russia’s aggression will deescalate after 9 May

Olena Roshchina – Thursday, 14 April 2022, 11:33

Hanna Maliar, Deputy Minister of Defence of Ukraine, said that the Russian army is amassing forces to continue its escalation in Ukraine and warned that it is impossible to estimate when it will be safe for civilians to return to Kyiv, despite the fact that 9 May is a "sacred" date for Russia [the day when Russia celebrates Victory Day to commemorate the Soviet victory in World War II].

Source: Hanna Maliar on the national joint news broadcast

According to Maliar: "It is too early to return to Kyiv, as there is a threat of missile strikes throughout Ukraine. The enemy has not yet abandoned the goal of capturing all of Ukraine, including Kyiv, and the situation is quite difficult. So you should wait a little longer. We will see how the situation develops, including in the east.

It is clear that it is difficult for people to be far from their homes. I know that many people are running out of money. But if it is possible to wait a little longer and not return yet, or at least to not bring children to Kyiv, it is worth waiting."

Details: When asked to comment on whether it would be possible to return after 9 May, Maliar could not confirm whether it would be safe to return after that date.

Maliar said that Russia is continuing to amass its military forces in preparation for another offensive and that Kyiv remains one of Russia’s targets. The threat of Russian aggression persists for the entire country.

Maliar agreed that "the enemy wants to march through Kyiv on 9 May – and it must be those plans and rumours that gave rise to the idea that it’s worth waiting until after the 9th to return."

According to Maliar: "The signature of the Russian KGB and the Russian army is that they try to synchronise all of their actions with some historically significant dates. And 9 May is a sacred date for them, as it is the date around which they are creating the image of their country as heroic. Independence Day and 9 May are the two key dates for them, when they try to do the most harm to us. Therefore, perhaps it is not unreasonable [to expect 9 May to be a milestone in Russia’s war with Ukraine].

But right now there is active fighting in eastern Ukraine, as well as missile and bomb strikes in the Kharkiv, Donetsk, and Zaporizhzhia regions.

The active phase of the war continues – and this means that there is ongoing risk throughout Ukraine. And given that Kyiv was their key target and they have not abandoned it, it is still worth waiting [to return to Kyiv]. In due course it will become clear how the situation is developing, what the balance of power is and what is happening.

But as of today, the Russian army is still gathering as many forces as possible in order to continue its escalation.

They are not only amassing troops along the Russian-Ukrainian border, but they are also preparing to carry out strikes from within Belarus. They are already conducting training on the territory of the unrecognised ‘Transnistrian republic’. We need to be aware of these threats."

Background: Mircea Geoană, NATO Deputy Secretary General, said that the second stage of the war in Ukraine is inevitable and that it will have a wider front and will be more bloody.

The United States is predicting a long-term war between Russia and Ukraine, and, according to media reports, it is already considering the need to stockpile weapons in case the war in Ukraine lasts for several years.