Ukraine is entering phase of protracted war, and Western weapons not all at the front yet – Reznikov

DENYS KARLOVSKYI — FRIDAY, 13 MAY 2022, 15:14

The Ukrainian military using American M777 howitzers on the battlefield. PHOTO: COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF OF THE ARMED FORCES OF UKRAINE VALERIY ZALUZHNY

Defence minister Olexiy Reznikov explained that now the war is entering a protracted phase. [This will last] until the Ukrainian defenders at the front receive a critical amount of heavy weaponry from Western partners.

Source: Facebook page of Reznikov

Reznikov's direct speech: 

"Dear Ukrainians,

Many of our fellow citizens consciously or subconsciously perceived May 9 as a certain Rubicon. After all, the Kremlin has repeatedly demonstrated greed for crazy symbolism.

The media was full of expectations that something "special" would happen by this day or directly on this day. Something that will determine the course of the war or give a hint about the time of its end.

That day is over. Many people are now somewhat confused and asking – what's next? What to expect? How to plan your life?

Against this background, we are entering a new – long-term phase of the war. To win it, we need to carefully plan resources, avoid mistakes, and design our strength so that the enemy, in the end, can not stand it.

We will have extremely difficult weeks ahead of us. No one can say exactly how many of them there will be.

During this period, we will hold the [line of] defence mainly on our own against an aggressor enraged with rage.

As long as heavy foreign weapons balance the forces and ensure the tide turns in favour of Ukraine, time will pass."

Details: At this point, about one and a half thousand Ukrainian servicemen have passed and are undergoing training on the management of Western weapons that are supplied to Ukraine. Over time, they will return as instructors to train a wider number of defenders.

The military and political leadership of Ukraine has set a standard for providing about 1 million military personnel to protect the state while a full-scale war continues.  

The minister thanked volunteers, citizens, and foreign partners for helping to deploy and support the military forces of Ukraine. He said that since the end of April, every second bulletproof vest for Ukrainian defenders has been provided by volunteers. Currently, the ratio is approximately 57% of provision from public procurement against 47% of assistance from volunteers.

Reznikov said in detail that since February 24, Ukraine has overcome many obstacles to convince Western partners to provide heavy weaponry. Now most partners are confident in the ability of the Ukrainian forces to defeat the Russian invaders and cause irreparable damage to them. 

Ukrainian diplomacy, led by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and minister of foreign affairs Dmytro Kuleba, is making significant efforts to speed up the supply of Western weapons.

Reznikov assured that the military and political leadership is acutely aware that while time passes, defenders on the front line lives and health hang in the balance, and under occupation, thousands of innocent Ukrainians are being tortured and killed by Russian invaders. But the minister believes that the pressure of foreign sanctions and the increase in firepower by Ukrainian defenders will tip the scales in favour of Ukraine.

Background:

• ·         As early as the end of April, after the meeting of the defence ministers of Ukraine's partners at the Ramstein military base in Germany, Reznikov asked Ukrainians to prepare for a protracted war. At that meeting, the minister gave the partners a detailed list of funds that Ukraine needs to purchase supplies to  de-occupy  their territories from Russian soldiers.
• ·         The Ukrainian Intelligence Service reported that clashes and quarrels are beginning among the Russian generals because they are afraid of becoming victims of repression for the failures of the war against Ukraine. The Russian leadership sends graduates of military schools to the front immediately after completing their studies.

·        At a hearing in Congress on May 11, US National Intelligence Chief Avril Gaines declared that Russian President Vladimir Putin wants to wage a protracted war and wait for the West to get tired of supporting Ukraine under the pressure of internal problems.