Ukraine will begin its efforts to retake Crimea from Russia ‘soon’, its intelligence chief has said.
The peninsula – which has been home to the Russian navy’s Black Sea fleet for nearly 250 years – was illegally annexed and occupied by Vladimir Putin’s regime in 2014. However, Ukraine has been targeting the Kerch Bridge – which links Crimea to Russia – in recent weeks.
Retaking the strategically vital area has become a key objective for Ukraine. Doing so would severely damage Russia’s naval capabilities around the globe.
Major General Kyrylo Budanov, Chief of the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine, told a news website that his country’s forces would enter Crimea to “de-occupy” it shortly. However, Budano offered no firm time frame and did not specify when the military would begin their operation.
It comes after Kyiv has launched a major attack on Russian forces in the area around Crimea, as part of its weeks-long counteroffensive. Ukraine has committed thousands of troops to fight in the southeast area of the country, according to western and Ukrainian officials and analysts.
The surge has been centred on the Zaporizhzhia region, a Western official said a few days ago. Fighting has intensified in recent weeks at multiple points along the 930-mile frontline as Ukraine deploys Western-supplied advanced weapons and Western-trained troops against the deeply entrenched Russian forces, who invaded 17 months ago.
Meanwhile, Vladimir Putin says there can be no ceasefire while Russia is under attack from Ukraine. The Russian President said Moscow has not rejected talks on Ukraine – and an African peace initiative, or one from China, could be a basis for peace.
However, Putin said that elements of these initiatives “are difficult or impossible to implement.” One element of the African initiative is a ceasefire.
