Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu is certain: Ukraine will attack Crimea. And with weapons from the USA and the UK. However, former ground forces commander Mart de Kruif considers that possibility void.
While it may be that Ukraine attacks military targets in Crimea, because they are important to the war in Ukraine itself, De Kruif does not see attacking the peninsula as opening up the attack so quickly.
‘Russians need Crimean base for supplies’
However, there is probably a strategy behind Sjojgoe’s words, thinks De Kruif. He says there is a constant “noise of guns and threats from both sides”. “Shoigu will no doubt say this in the hope that Crimea will remain intact as a military base for the Russians,” he says. “Obviously the Russians need that base to partially supply their troops in Ukraine.”
Conquest
Furthermore, De Kruif thinks that Ukraine has not yet conquered the Crimea. This is too difficult. “There are two land bridges leading to Crimea,” he continues. “In 1940, even the Germans were unable to cross the Afsluitdijk, and that won’t happen now either. The Ukrainians will not spend the real military power they have on the conquest of Crimea, but on Donbas’.
Anxious
According to De Kruif, Shojgoe’s call indicates that the Russians fear the use of the powerful types of missiles supplied by both the US and the UK. Especially since Ukraine can accurately hit targets 250 kilometers away. “Even the Russians have problems blocking those missiles,” says De Kruif. “All in all, they are very effective weapons for attacking Russian supplies and command posts.”
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De Kruif himself expects Ukraine to deploy its weapons mainly in areas where Ukrainians most want to pass – and to allow Russian troops as little freedom of movement as possible. “What they want in particular is to slow down the supply of troops in those breakthrough areas,” concludes De Kruif, “and that’s the purpose of those weapons.”
Source: BNR
Sharon Rock is an author and journalist who writes for 24 News Globe. She has a passion for learning about different cultures and understanding the complexities of the world. With a talent for explaining complex global issues in an accessible and engaging way, Sharon has become a respected voice in the field of world news journalism.
