Zaluzhnyi on Crimea’s de-occupation: As soon as I have the means, nobody will stop me

Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valerii Zaluzhnyi is determined to reclaim the temporarily occupied Crimea as soon as the necessary means are available.

The relevant statement was made by Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valerii Zaluzhnyi in an interview with The Washington Post, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

“As soon as I have the means, I’ll do something. I don’t give a damn – nobody will stop me,” Zaluzhnyi said.

According to the publication, Ukraine’s top commander isn’t shy about his intent to de-occupy Crimea, even as some Western officials privately worry about what Putin’s response would be if Ukrainian troops ever reached the peninsula.

Additionally, Zaluzhnyi stressed Ukraine’s need for ammunition, while partners struggle to meet the demand.

“The more Ukraine can fire, pinning down Russian forces, the fewer casualties it will suffer,” Zaluzhnyi noted as cited by the publication.

A reminder that, according to the Ukrainian intelligence, Russians have been thoroughly preparing for the defense of Crimea for months and set up a multi-layered defense in several lines, including fortifications, engineering structures, and multi-kilometer trenches. However, Russian invaders in the temporarily occupied Crimea are considering different scenarios, and one of them is to retreat from the peninsula.