Ukraine's goals will extend as far national interests require, says NSDC secretary
Oleksiy Danilov (Photo:REUTERS/Valentyn Ogirenko)
Ukraine's goals will extend as far as national interests require, including liberating all Ukrainian territory from Russian invasion forces, Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Oleksiy Danilov said on Dec. 7 in a message on Facebook.
Danilov commented on calls made abroad that Ukraine "prevent the escalation of the conflict" and noted that, in his opinion, "the main goal of those who repeat this mantra is to replace real steps with a screen of inaction and lack of freedom."
"For those who have not yet understood, let me explain,” Danilov’s Facebook post reads.
“First of all, there is no conflict, but a full-fledged war, which began on Feb. 27, 2014, with the seizure of the parliament and government of Crimea by the Russian military, continued with a bloody massacre in Luhansk and Donetsk oblasts and entered an active phase on Feb. 24, 2022, with the full-scale invasion of Russia into Ukraine... For us, there can be no greater escalation than the murder of 444 Ukrainian children, thousands of military and civilians by the Putin regime, the loss of territory, and the destruction of our peaceful life.”
The NSDC secretary said that Ukraine will use all means permitted by international law and available to punish the aggressor state and liberate its territory. He added that all objects on the temporarily occupied territory of Ukraine, "where there is at least a small fragment of the Russian tricolor rag (flag)," are legitimate targets for the defenders of Ukraine.
"In order to achieve the tasks set by the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, Ukraine's goals will extend as far as national interests require, and Ukrainian strategic interests will end where and when the so-called Russia ends and fades into historical oblivion," Danilov said.
He also said that the best method "to prevent the escalation of the conflict" is to eliminate the cause of this "escalation" and to contribute to the military defeat of Russia, and then to its "denuclearization, deputinization (removal of Russian dictator Vladimir Putin from power), and derascization (elimination of Russian fascism).”
Meanwhile, on Dec. 7 another meeting of the Supreme Command was held to discuss "the next steps to reduce the combat capabilities of the enemy forces."
Earlier, U.S. newspaper the Washington Post, citing an unnamed Ukrainian official, reported that three attacks on Russian military airfields in early December had been carried out by Ukrainian drones.
A Ukrainian government defense adviser told the Financial Times that Ukraine now has no restrictions on the distance across which it can strike Russian territory.
On Dec. 5, an unknown unmanned aerial vehicle impacted the runaway at the Russian Engels-1 airbase in Saratov Oblast, which Russia uses to launch mass missile strikes on Ukraine and on its energy infrastructure in particular. Satellite images showed possible damage to one Tu-95 bomber.
In addition, a fuel tanker caught fire and exploded at the Dyagilevo airfield near Ryazan. Judging by satellite images from the airbase, a Tu-22M bomber was probably damaged.
Russia’s Ministry of Defense stated that as a result of the incidents at the airfields three Russian servicemen were killed, and four more were injured. The Air Force of the Ukrainian Armed Forces noted that after the explosions the Russians "will have fewer aircraft."
On Dec. 6, there were reports of a drone attack on the airfield in Kursk.
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