‘By the end of spring, this war will be over’, says Ukrainian official
Ukrainian forces could be back in Crimea by the end of this year, and the war with Russia may be over by the end of spring of 2023, Ukrainian deputy defence minister Volodymyr Havrylov has predicted.
Photo: Defense of Ukraine/Twitter
In an interview with British news outlet Sky News, Havrylov said that a so-called “black swan” event inside Russia involving President Vladimir Putin could enable Ukraine to reclaim Crimea by the end of the year.
„Or somebody from his circle, something happens, or maybe a combination of a very disillusioned society in terms of their losses,” he added.
Havrylov stated that Ukraine will fight until victory and will not be stopped even by a tactical nuclear attack by Russia, although, he said, the likelihood of a nuclear attack by Russia is low, as such a step “would be drama for everybody”.
Referring to the prospect of peace talks with Russia, Havrilov said they would only take place when Russian troops are ready to leave every square inch of Ukraine, including Crimea, which has been occupied since 2014.
“There is a decision inside the society in Ukraine that we are going up to the end,” he said in the interview, predicting the conflict might take “some time” if Moscow reinforces its military. But, he added, “my feeling is that by the end of spring, this war will (be) over”.
According to Newsweek, Crimean media are reporting that Russians are moving to nearby Krasnodar in Russia, amid speculation that Ukrainian forces might soon move to recapture the peninsula.
On Friday, the British ministry of defense said that Russian forces had set up new trenches near the Crimea border.
Former commanding general of US Army in Europe Ben Hodges tweeted last week that US-supplied High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) “will soon be firing from Kherson” and that “the approaches to Crimea are within range”.
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Source: PAP, Newsweek, Sky News
