Battle for Crimea key point in Russia’s war against Ukraine – General Hodges
General Ben Hodges (Photo:Spc. Bryan Rankin / US Army photo)
The struggle for Crimea will be key in Russia’s war against Ukraine, the former commander of U.S. forces in Europe, General Ben Hodges, said in an interview with U.S. publication the Insider on Jan. 29.
According to him, Ukraine will not be safe while Russia is there.
“The decisive terrain for this war is Crimea. The Ukrainian government knows that they cannot settle for Russia retaining control of Crimea,” the general said.
“The next few months will see Ukraine setting the conditions for the eventual liberation of Crimea,” he added, emphasizing that the country will “never be safe or secure or able to rebuild their economy so long as Russia retains Crimea.”
The general said he believes that Ukraine will create conditions for the final liberation of Crimea in the next few months. He added that for the liberation of Crimea, the Armed Forces of Ukraine need long-range high-precision weapons, in particular ATACMS rockets.
“Delivering capabilities which will deny Russia any sanctuary for its air, drone, and missile strikes will enable Ukraine to make Crimea untenable for the Russians,” Hodges added.
He also said that in order to liberate Crimea, it will be necessary to isolate the peninsula from the Russian Federation by destroying the Kerch Bridge.
The general also criticized Joe Biden’s administration for its reluctance to provide Ukraine with long-range weapons.
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