Ukrainian Intelligence rejects 'passive defense' on frontline: No room for inactivity with territory loss at stake
Vadym Skibitskyi, a representative of the Defense Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine (Photo: Vitalii Nosach, RBC-Ukraine)
Russian occupiers will use any ceasefire on the front lines in Ukraine to improve their position and attempt to open new directions. The Armed Forces of Ukraine will not passively defend but will conduct counter-offensive measures, states Vadym Skibitskyi, a representative of the Defense Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense, at a briefing in Davos, Switzerland.
According to him, military intelligence assesses that at the tactical level, combat operations will continue.
"No one is talking about stopping, let alone a ceasefire. Any cessation of hostilities by the Russian Federation will be used to improve tactical positions and gain greater capabilities to restore or open new directions of military action," states Skibitskyi.
The representative of the Defense Intelligence has stated that combat operations will continue, particularly despite challenging weather conditions.
"We simply cannot lose our territory due to inactivity," he emphasizes.
Speaking about the risks of hostilities freezing on the theater of military operations and the theoretical transition of the Armed Forces of Ukraine to the so-called "passive defense," Skibitskyi notes that Russian occupiers are "learning quickly" during the war.
"In such a case, even if we transition to passive defense, as many suggest, and start developing our defense industry, the enemy will not stop. We must develop everything: air defense, ensure our defense industry is protected, and conduct counteroffensive measures to prevent territorial loss," he states.
Skibitskyi adds that "the experience of 2023 has shown the importance of these measures."
Stage of the war and statements about defense
In the fall of the previous year, General Valerii Zaluzhnyi, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, wrote an article for The Economist. He pointed out that the war was transitioning to a new stage - "positional," characterized by exhaustive battles. Zaluzhnyi acknowledged the possibility that the war could enter a "dead end."
Later in December, The New York Times reported differences in views between the United States and Ukraine on how to conduct the war with Russia. While American military officials allegedly believed that the Armed Forces should focus on defense rather than counterattacks, Ukraine aimed to transition to an offensive stance for more favorable negotiation conditions.
It is mentioned that the United States is attempting to prepare Ukraine for a potential reduction in the amount of aid it receives.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy previously stated that the situation on the front lines in Ukraine was not at an impasse. In December, he responded to calls to shift to a defensive posture on the front lines, emphasizing that both offensive and defensive operations slow down during the winter period, making it crucial to restrain the occupiers.
