According to Ukrainian military intelligence, almost two months after the start of the war in Ukraine, the plans of Russian President Vladimir Putin have not changed. “The purpose of the military aggression has remained the same: this is an operation to destroy the state of Ukraine,” intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov said.
According to Russia, Ukraine must “cease to exist as a state,” Budanov told Der Spiegel. When asked why Russia decided to withdraw its troops from the region around the capital Kiev, Budanov said: “They didn’t just withdraw – we expelled them from the Kiev region. It started with us taking back the city of Irpin. This threatened to split their forces in the Kiev region in two.”
Generals ‘incompetent and negligent’
Budanov said he was not surprised that the Russian plan to conquer Kiev failed. But he marvels at something else: “How incompetent and negligent the Russian commanders approached the execution of such a major operation. If they really believed that they could do it in three days – and as far as we know, they absolutely believed that – then the Russian leadership must ask themselves how competent their generals are.”
Need guns from Germany
Budanov also reiterated the Ukrainian government’s demand for weapons from Germany: “We need artillery systems – the German army is particularly strong at them,” the major general said. “And unfortunately we need tanks, because we had very large losses in armored vehicles.”
Also free Crimean Peninsula
The Ukrainian army wants to use the weapons to liberate the occupied territories, Budanov said. This includes the Crimean peninsula, annexed by Russia in 2014. Budanov sees no problem in training Ukrainian soldiers, for example on the Leopard main battle tank: “We will learn that soon. With all due respect, this isn’t higher math.”
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
