New task groups and support from partners needed to de-occupy Crimea – General Staff

Maintaining control over the temporarily occupied Autonomous Republic of Crimea is a critical task for Russia. Hence, the de-occupation efforts require the Armed Forces of Ukraine to create task groups, consisting of 10 to 20 brigades, as well receive additional weapons and ammunition from international partners.

The relevant statement was made by Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, General Valerii Zaluzhnyi and First Deputy Chairperson of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Committee on National Security, Defense and Intelligence, Lieutenant General Mykhailo Zabrodskyi  in the article for Ukrinform, ‘How to Ensure a Military Campaign in 2023: Ukrainian Perspective’.

“The aforementioned planning should provide, first of all, the availability of the necessary set of troops. This may definitely not refer to the military units and forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, which are already involved in operations along the 2,500-kilometer front line, from Kherson to Kovel. The preparation of the offensive campaign requires us to create one or several task (operational and strategic) groups , consisting of 10 to 20 combined arms brigades, depending on the plan and ambitions of the Ukrainian command,” the article reads.

In the current situation, the above can be done exclusively by replacing the main types of weapons used by the existing brigades with the modern ones provided by Ukraine’s partners. Also, it is necessary to emphasize the need for additional rockets and ammunition, artillery and missile systems, electronic warfare systems, etc.

“All of the above will require the consolidation of the efforts of all partner countries of Ukraine, a long time and significant financial expenses,” the authors of the article stressed.

According to Zaluzhnyi and Zabrodskyi, in case of having political will, making a timely and well-designed plan, using the production capacities and reserves of the leading countries in the world, it is absolutely real to create such task groups as part of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and ensure they are properly equipped. 

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