Minister Umerov: Ukrainian forces in between enemy’s second, third defensive lines on front

The relevant statement was made by Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov in an interview with FoxNews, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

In response to the presenter’s statement that the battlefield map remained rather unchanged between June 7 and December 4, Umerov invited the critics to visit the front line.

“We have a plan, we have de-occupied 50% of our territory. We are defeating Russia in our land, and we have gained the territories. We have stopped the atrocities, and now we have a plan for 2024,” Umerov said.

In his words, Ukrainian forces are now in between the second and third defensive lines of Russian troops.

Umerov emphasized that Ukraine’s strategic objective is to reach the 1991 borders, which are internationally recognized, including Crimea, Donbas, and the Black Sea.

Commenting on the possibility of reaching a negotiating settlement with Russia, Umerov noted that the civilized world should be embarrassed in that case.

“I think all the civilized world should be embarrassed, because an authoritarian regime has regained the territory, showed that the civilized world cannot defend itself. It will continue, and it will destroy then the democratic rule of law. Their [Russians’ – Ed.] objective for Ukraine is not to exist, for Ukrainians not to exist,” Umerov stressed.