Ukraine's partners quite consciously support the idea of a counteroffensive not only at the political as well as military levels, Ukrainian Defence Minister Oleksiy Reznikov has said in an interview with the Polish newspaper Gazeta Wyborcza.
"NATO generals know our plans and consider them feasible. To do this, we need armoured personnel carriers, tanks, ammunition and trained crews. And today, our military is being trained at training grounds in Poland, Slovakia, Germany, France, the United Kingdom and the Baltic states. Other countries are also involved, by means of sending their instructors, such as the Scandinavian countries or Canada. Training on modern weapon systems is carried out in a carefully thought-out manner in accordance with the experience of our partners. The war is ongoing on our soil, and our military knows all the nuances and conditions of the terrain, knows where to strike. We also know the operational model and tactics of the Russians. And we are constantly changing, which they are not ready for - they do not know what to expect from us," Reznikov said.
According to the minister, Ukrainian forces will exert pressure in several areas of the front, but the directions of the counteroffensive, its intensity and timing will be determined by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
"Now the spring soil is boggy, wheeled vehicles will not get through. So we have to wait. The motivation to liberate the territories is very strong. The nation is waiting for it, and our partners are waiting for it. And another factor is that the Russians also believed that we would launch a counteroffensive, and they are afraid of it. They are preparing fortifications and defence lines. Even in Crimea, they have formed three rings of defence on the peninsula, building fortifications on the southern beaches. This means that they are dispersing their defence resources, and their society sees that the so-called 'special operation' is not going according to plan. Their morale is falling, they are already admitting defeat," the minister added.
Earlier, Reznikov said that the Ukrainian counteroffensive would begin in several directions in April-May. He suggested that this year would see some very positive changes for Ukraine, in particular, in the form of deoccupied territories.