Chief of General Staff: Risk of Russia’s open aggression against Ukraine always exists

"According to the General Staff and intelligence data, the Russian armed forces deployed along the state border and in the occupied territories are not on full alert now. However, the Russian Federation can increase its forces and resources with units and subdivisions of airborne troops, missile forces, and so on in a short time. Therefore, the risk of Russia’s open aggression against Ukraine always exists. As the military, we must be prepared for any scenario," Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Lieutenant General Serhiy Korniychuk said in an interview with Ukrinform.

The aggressive foreign policy of the Russian Federation does not change, the Chief of the General Staff pointed out.

"This is evidenced by the military conflicts in Abkhazia, Georgia, the occupation and subsequent militarization of Crimea, some areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions, where the passportization of the population continues. Intelligence records the supply of new weapons and military equipment to the occupied territories. There are constant rotations of units and curators of the first and the second army corps of the Southern Military District of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation which operate in the occupied part of Donbas. The sniper groups and other units of Russian occupation forces continue to violate the stable ceasefire," he said.

In such a situation, Korniychuk stressed, the Armed Forces of Ukraine must "without delay replace the old armament and military equipment with more modern models, develop missile troops and artillery, aviation, navy, electronic warfare, air defense, acquire defense capabilities in information and cybernetics, etc."

In addition, the Chief of the General Staff noted that the Joint Forces Command, established last year, "increased the readiness of the Armed Forces of Ukraine to repel large-scale aggression."

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