Serhiy Naev, Commander of the Joint Forces of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, said that the Ukrainian army is preparing for a military offensive.
“With regard to the preparation of our offensive: We are preparing the appropriate forces for it, but when that will happen is a mystery,” the commander said.
The general also answered a question about training Ukrainian pilots to fly Western warplanes, including American F-16s.
“Especially for Western equipment models, pilots’ training takes months. It’s not just a matter of inspecting the aircraft’s equipment. Especially in group flights, it is also important to carry out flights on it.”
Naev gave no further details, but commented on the situation at the Belarusian border. According to him, the Ukrainian army is watching the change in the number of Belarusian and Russian troops, and if it increases, Kiev will do the same in mirror mode.
“My reaction is any change in the number of these troops. When it grows several times larger, we will increase the number of our soldiers. It will be a mirror,” said the general.
He emphasized that this work will be carried out continuously in order to equalize the forces.
The Russian Ministry of Defense has repeatedly stated that the Ukrainian forces had failed in the attack. In particular, in early February, the defense ministry reported that motorized rifle units of the Western Military District repulsed an attempt by units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine to remove them from their position in one of the directions.
Decisive battles in the spring
In turn, the head of Ukrainian military intelligence, Kirill Budanov, suggested that decisive battles will take place from mid to late spring.
The head of the Main Directorate of Intelligence of Ukraine answered in the affirmative to the question of Forbes journalists whether the fate of the war will be determined during these wars.
“Yes, this is a turning point,” he said.
Among the three main victories of the Armed Forces of Ukraine since the beginning of hostilities named the events near Kiev, the actions of the army in the direction of Kharkov and the return of control over Kherson. According to Budanov, the three main military defeats of Ukraine are the loss of Severodonetsk, the breakthrough of the defensive line near Volnovakha, and the loss of Crimea and Donbass in 2014.
The head of intelligence also expressed the view that in case of military success, Ukraine will have to create a “security zone around the border”. According to Budanov, there should be a demilitarized strip 40 to 100 km wide, which will be subject to constant control.
“Whether we go further is not a question for me, but creating a security zone around the border is a must. “There are many options for how to achieve this goal.”
Budanov described Ukraine’s departure to the 1991 borders as a condition for Kiev’s military victory in the conflict. At the same time, according to him, “we will decide the rest later”, after the borders are back.
Fortifications in Crimea
Talking about possible aspects of the attack, Ukraine repeatedly mentioned Crimea. In November 2022, the head of Crimea, Sergei Aksenov, announced the start of fortification work on the peninsula. He said at a meeting chaired by Vladimir Putin on February 1 that the work would be completed in April.
On February 22, Aksyonov said that building the walls to protect the peninsula was his personal initiative and thanked the president for his support.
“If you want peace, prepare for war. Crimea is Russian and will stay there forever no matter what anyone plans there. I am responsible for the territorial defense of Crimea, I am in full control of the situation,” said Aksyonov.
The head of the region noted that the Crimean authorities are “supported by the federal budget” and that the measures taken are precautionary. At the same time, work continues along the entire border of Crimea.
“If it doesn’t work, okay, we’ll take you on excursions,” Aksenov concluded.
Kiev did not recognize the results of the 2014 referendum on the annexation of Crimea to Russia and accused Moscow of invading the peninsula. Ukrainian officials consider the peninsula to be part of Ukraine and have repeatedly mentioned plans to regain control of Crimea, including by military vehicles. At the end of December 2022, Andriy Yermak, head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, said in an interview with The Guardian that Kiev will “do everything possible” for this in 2023.