Ukraine says Russia wants to split nation, calls for more arms
Summary
LVIV, Ukraine, March 27 (Reuters) - Russia wants to split Ukraine into two, as happened with North and South Korea, Ukraine's military intelligence chief said on Sunday, vowing "total" guerrilla warfare to prevent a carve up of the country.
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy urged the West to give Ukraine tanks, planes and missiles to help fend off the Russian forces, which the Kyiv government said were increasingly targeting fuel and food depots.
Meanwhile, U.S. officials continued efforts to soften comments on Saturday from U.S. President Joe Biden, who said in a fiery speech in Poland that Russian leader Vladimir Putin "cannot remain in power". read more
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Washington had no strategy of regime change in Moscow, telling reporters in Jerusalem that Biden had simply meant Putin could not be "empowered to wage war" against Ukraine or anyone else. read more
After more than four weeks of conflict, Russia has failed to seize any major Ukrainian city and Moscow signalled on Friday it was scaling back its ambitions to focus on securing the Donbass region of eastern Ukraine, where Russian-backed separatists have been fighting the Ukrainian army for the past eight years.
A local leader in the self-proclaimed Luhansk People's Republic said on Sunday the region could soon hold a referendum on joining Russia, just as happened in Crimea after Russia seized the Ukrainian peninsula in 2014.
Crimeans voted overwhelmingly to break with Ukraine and join Russia -- a vote that much of the world refused to recognise.
"In fact, it is an attempt to create North and South Korea in Ukraine," Kyrylo Budanov, the head of Ukrainian military intelligence, said in a statement, referring to the division of Korea after World War Two.
He predicted Ukraine's army would push back Russian forces.
"In addition, the season of a total Ukrainian guerrilla safari will soon begin. Then there will be one relevant scenario left for the Russians, how to survive," he said.
HEAVY ARMOUR
Moscow says the goals for what Putin calls a "special military operation" include demilitarising and "denazifying" its neighbour. Ukraine and its Western allies calls this a pretext for an unprovoked invasion.
The invasion has devastated several Ukrainian cities, caused a major humanitarian crisis and displaced an estimated 10 million people, nearly a quarter of Ukraine's total population.
In a late-night television address on Saturday, Zelenskiy demanded that Western nations hand over military hardware that was "gathering dust" in stockpiles, saying his nation needed just 1% of NATO's aircraft and 1% of its tanks. read more
- Ukraine intelligence chief predicts guerrilla warfare
- Zelenskiy appeals for more Western military hardware
- Biden says Putin 'cannot remain in power'
- Russia-backed region signals possible referendum
- Ukraine, Russia agree on two humanitarian corridors
LVIV, Ukraine, March 27 (Reuters) - Russia wants to split Ukraine into two, as happened with North and South Korea, Ukraine's military intelligence chief said on Sunday, vowing "total" guerrilla warfare to prevent a carve up of the country.
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy urged the West to give Ukraine tanks, planes and missiles to help fend off the Russian forces, which the Kyiv government said were increasingly targeting fuel and food depots.
Meanwhile, U.S. officials continued efforts to soften comments on Saturday from U.S. President Joe Biden, who said in a fiery speech in Poland that Russian leader Vladimir Putin "cannot remain in power". read more
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Washington had no strategy of regime change in Moscow, telling reporters in Jerusalem that Biden had simply meant Putin could not be "empowered to wage war" against Ukraine or anyone else. read more
After more than four weeks of conflict, Russia has failed to seize any major Ukrainian city and Moscow signalled on Friday it was scaling back its ambitions to focus on securing the Donbass region of eastern Ukraine, where Russian-backed separatists have been fighting the Ukrainian army for the past eight years.
A local leader in the self-proclaimed Luhansk People's Republic said on Sunday the region could soon hold a referendum on joining Russia, just as happened in Crimea after Russia seized the Ukrainian peninsula in 2014.
Crimeans voted overwhelmingly to break with Ukraine and join Russia -- a vote that much of the world refused to recognise.
"In fact, it is an attempt to create North and South Korea in Ukraine," Kyrylo Budanov, the head of Ukrainian military intelligence, said in a statement, referring to the division of Korea after World War Two.
He predicted Ukraine's army would push back Russian forces.
"In addition, the season of a total Ukrainian guerrilla safari will soon begin. Then there will be one relevant scenario left for the Russians, how to survive," he said.
HEAVY ARMOUR
Moscow says the goals for what Putin calls a "special military operation" include demilitarising and "denazifying" its neighbour. Ukraine and its Western allies calls this a pretext for an unprovoked invasion.
The invasion has devastated several Ukrainian cities, caused a major humanitarian crisis and displaced an estimated 10 million people, nearly a quarter of Ukraine's total population.
In a late-night television address on Saturday, Zelenskiy demanded that Western nations hand over military hardware that was "gathering dust" in stockpiles, saying his nation needed just 1% of NATO's aircraft and 1% of its tanks. read more
Rescuers work at a site of fuel storage facilities hit by cruise missiles, as Russia's attack on Ukraine continues, in Lviv, in this handout picture released March 27, 2022. Press service of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine/Handout via REUTERS
Read More
Western nations have so far given Ukraine anti-tank and anti-aircraft missiles as well as small arms and protective equipment, but have not offered any heavy armour or planes.
"We've already been waiting 31 days. Who is in charge of the Euro-Atlantic community? Is it really still Moscow, because of intimidation?" Zelenskiy said, suggesting Western leaders were holding back on supplies because they were frightened of Russia.
Ukrainian Interior Ministry adviser Vadym Denysenko said on Sunday that Russia had started destroying Ukrainian fuel and food storage centres, meaning the government would have to disperse stocks of both in the near future.
Appearing to confirm that, the Russian defence ministry said its missiles had wrecked a fuel deposit on Saturday as well as a military repair plant near the western city of Lviv, just 60 km (40 miles) from the Polish border. read more
In its latest military assessment, the British Ministry of Defence said Russian forces appeared to be concentrating their efforts on encircling Ukrainian troops directly facing separatist regions in the east.
"The battlefield across northern Ukraine remains largely static with local Ukrainian counterattacks hampering Russian attempts to reorganise their forces," the ministry said.
Read More
Western nations have so far given Ukraine anti-tank and anti-aircraft missiles as well as small arms and protective equipment, but have not offered any heavy armour or planes.
"We've already been waiting 31 days. Who is in charge of the Euro-Atlantic community? Is it really still Moscow, because of intimidation?" Zelenskiy said, suggesting Western leaders were holding back on supplies because they were frightened of Russia.
Ukrainian Interior Ministry adviser Vadym Denysenko said on Sunday that Russia had started destroying Ukrainian fuel and food storage centres, meaning the government would have to disperse stocks of both in the near future.
Appearing to confirm that, the Russian defence ministry said its missiles had wrecked a fuel deposit on Saturday as well as a military repair plant near the western city of Lviv, just 60 km (40 miles) from the Polish border. read more
In its latest military assessment, the British Ministry of Defence said Russian forces appeared to be concentrating their efforts on encircling Ukrainian troops directly facing separatist regions in the east.
"The battlefield across northern Ukraine remains largely static with local Ukrainian counterattacks hampering Russian attempts to reorganise their forces," the ministry said.
The Russian war on Ukraine has woken up Ukrainian national identity , as opposed to purely ethnic identity.
ReplyDeleteIn the Russian majority areas of Ukraine, Russian invaders have been heavily rejected.
Russian-speaking Ukrainians have heavily joined the Resistance against the Russian invaders.
Slava Ukraini.
Glory to Ukraine.
Praise the Lord, and pass the Javelin.
Wakakakaka…
DeleteHave u spoken to those Ukrainians in the Donbass region?
Latest news have it that there will be a referendum, aka Crimea style, to join the Russia federation!
Praise to yr lord that it will happen soonest.
"…just 1% of NATO's aircraft and 1% of its tanks"
ReplyDeleteNATO members collectively had approximately 20,723 military aircraft units in 2022, with 7,126 of these being non-combat helicopters.
There r also collectively about 15000 tanks distributed amongst the NATO members.
1% implies 250 planes & 150 tanks.
Yet NONE r given to Ukraine!
The small arms, ammunition, rockets & light missiles trucked into Ukraine by NATO can't distribute fast enough to the war zones. Most of them r now sitting ducks for the Russian hypersonic missiles.
Meanwhile the Ukrainian army r running low on ammunitions & HW!
Is that the sign of a winning army retaking their lost ground?
If u believe those western MSM propagandas & retired/self-proclaimed military experts, u would have bought all the lies!
Donbass region has two independent states, recognized by Russia. Crimea has already been part of Russia since 2014.
Thus the final push of the Russian army would be to totally annihilate the remaining notorious Azov battalion in the eastern Ukraine. After that the Russian would withdraw back to Donbass independent states & Crimea - holding fort!
Putin's special military operation in Ukraine completed.
NATO can bitch about that. So too USofA. Meanwhile Ukraine has only sorrow while those big-mouthed foreigner Ukrainians would enjoy their rewards - oversea w/o a thought for the common Ukrainians.
Mmmm… would that comedian still occupying the seat of presidency then?
In 4 weeks , more Russian soldiers have been killed in Ukraine than Russia lost in 10 years in Afghanistan.
Delete$ 40,000 NLAWS easily kill $ 3 Million Russian T-80 tanks.
Not since World War II , fighting the Wehrmacht has Russia suffered so many tanks destroyed to so quickly.
Ironically, many of them are being destroyed by German supplied Panzerfaust 3, much improved successors to the Wehrmacht's Panzerfaust.
https://youtube.com/shorts/1La7hioFf8M?feature=share
The Brits have shipped 4,000 NLAWS and shipping more. They are being distributed from the boots of SUVs and MPVs.
The Ukrainians have received so many Anti-Tank missiles it is almost ridiculous. Every man and his dog in Ukraine looks like he may have one....behind every bush.
If Russia is desperate enough, it can go ahead and use Khinzals to destroy MPVs ...hahahaha..
Wakakakakaka…
DeleteKeep spreading yr cesspool concentrates of know-nothing!
If what u have farted is truth then that comedian president wouldn't run all over Europe to beg for that 1% weaponry!
With arsenal depots bombed & destroyed. With fuel supply bases bombed & destroyed. Soon all yr nationalist Ukrainians would have to bite to fight!
"The Ukrainians have received so many Anti-Tank missiles it is almost ridiculous."
DeleteSurely ridiculous to receive SO MANY and also have so many personnel capable to operate them so efficiently beside able to transport them so quickly to the war fronts which were mostly cut-off by the Russians. Bravo, bravo. Wakakakaka