Possibility of retaking Crimea without fighting remains, muses defense minister
Oleksii Reznikov (Photo:REUTERS/Murad Sezer)
The Crimean peninsula, occupied by Russia in March 2014, may return to Ukraine without combat, due to infighting within the Russian elite, Ukrainian Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov speculated in an interview with the Reuters news agency, published on Nov. 10.
According to the minister, even when Ukrainian troops reach the Dnipro River in Kherson Oblast, they will still not be able to hit Russian positions in Crimea with U.S.-made HIMARS artillery rocket systems and other weaponry.
The Financial Times wrote on Nov. 10 that after Russian retreat from the right bank of the Dnipro River in Kherson Oblast, Ukrainian artillery could reach the three main roads that lie on the land bridge towards the Crimean peninsula, which is also an important logistics corridor for Russia.
Earlier, Ukrainian military intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov said that the operation to liberate Kherson would most likely last until the end of November. He also believes that the Armed Forces of Ukraine will enter occupied Crimea before the end of spring 2023.
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