Zelenskyy outlines top priority in current stage of war
Photo: President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy (Vitalii Nosach, RBC-Ukraine)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has declared that his top priority at this stage of the war with Russia is to protect the eastern part of the country, writes The Economist.
The top priority in ground warfare, according to the Ukrainian leader, is “to defend the east, to save these very important cities of Ukraine, east and south, Kharkiv, Dnipro, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, Mykolaiv”, and to protect his country’s critical infrastructure.
Zelenskyy emphasized that the speed of achieving success will depend on the military aid he receives from Western partners. He requested that Ukraine be provided with Taurus, a long-range German-manufactured cruise missile capable of penetrating deep into the target. This could enable Ukraine to destroy the $4 billion Kerch Bridge, effectively isolating the Crimean Peninsula from Russia.
"Russia has to know that for us this is a military object,” emphasized Zelenskyy. Also, according to his opinion, the Germans are not the only Western power standing in his way.
Zelenskyy, as before, openly discusses his goals in the East and South. His stated strategic objective of returning Ukraine to its original borders has not changed, but he no longer sets temporary limits and does not promise how much territory Ukraine will be able to de-occupy in 2024.
Strikes on Kharkiv
On the evening of December 30, the Russian forces shelled the center of Kharkiv. The Kharkiv Palace Hotel and a residential building were damaged. The police clarified that 28 people were injured in Kharkiv as a result of two waves of shelling. Among them were two children aged 14 and 16 and a foreigner.
After the rocket terror, the occupiers attacked Kharkiv with Shakhed drones. There were hits in the city center.
