Zelenskyy stated that the battle for the skies would be decisive in the war
In an interview with the Financial Times, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that the war is changing and that the battle for airspace is becoming its priority.
According to the head of state, the Ukrainian military has halted the advance of Russian troops on the battlefield, and the front line has remained virtually unchanged.
“This war is changing. Today, peace and victory belong to whoever is smarter. It is very difficult for us, but our soldiers have stopped the war on the battlefield at the cost of their own lives. The contact line. The war is ongoing, but the front line is no longer moving. When the front line is barely moving and the enemy cannot advance by sea, the sky remains,” said Zelenskyy.
The President noted that Ukraine is moving into a new phase of the war, where air superiority will be the decisive factor. At the same time, he emphasised that the lack of anti-ballistic capabilities remains a serious problem.
According to him, Ukraine did not have its own anti-ballistic programmes and did not inherit the relevant capabilities following the collapse of the Soviet Union.
Zelenskyy also stated that success in the battle for the skies would depend on the support of partners, the resilience of the Ukrainian military and the ability to inflict significant losses on the enemy.
The President reported that some time ago, Ukraine had launched the Crimean operation using long-range weapons.
According to him, during the operation, Ukrainian forces struck military bases, depots, air defence systems, airfields, logistics routes and fuel and energy infrastructure on the temporarily occupied peninsula.
“We have cut off logistics and taken control of the fuel and energy sector. We have demonstrated what it means to maintain operational control of the airspace at a specific location and at a specific time,” said Zelenskyy.
The Head of State noted that the operation in Crimea was a continuation of strikes on Novorossiysk, Russian energy facilities and port infrastructure.
According to the president, this has had an impact on Russian business.
“Russian businesses have begun to realise that they will not win the war. They are losing both time and money, and, to be honest, they will lose hope, because many of them had hoped to capture us,” he remarked.
Zelenskyy also stated that long-range strikes on Russian territory are having a significant impact.
He said that previously, when Ukrainian long-range strikes did not reach Moscow and St Petersburg, Vladimir Putin did not feel the consequences of the war.
“When our long-range strikes weren’t reaching Moscow and St Petersburg, Putin didn’t give it much thought. He understood that the war was far from the Kremlin. Undoubtedly, as he begins to feel the effects in Moscow, he will start to realise what is happening in the Kursk, Belgorod and Bryansk regions. He will begin to feel the reality of the situation,” said the president.
He also expressed the view that increasing the scale of such strikes could bring the end of the war closer.
“The further Putin is from Moscow, the closer the end of the war and peace will be,” Zelenskyy stated.
The President emphasised that long-range strikes are already having a significant impact and that this work must continue on a daily basis.
“Deep strikes have had, and continue to have, a major impact. We must keep working on this. It is constant, complex, day-to-day work. We must all be fully committed. The heroes are those on the front line. And all of us, the whole nation, must supply the ammunition. If we do this, we will bring about a just and strong peace for Ukraine. That is victory for us,” Zelenskyy concluded.
