Defence Minister Oleksiy Reznikov said President Volodymyr Zelensky had instructed military commanders to develop plans to recover occupied southern territory, The Times reported on July 10, 2022. Babel also reported the interview.
Reznikov described Ukraine's wider defence and security personnel as a force of around one million and stressed the need for Western weapons. That figure should not be read as one million combat troops already assembled for a single southern operation.
He said the coastal regions were economically important and explained that military commanders would identify operational needs while he worked with international partners to obtain support.
The interview outlined Ukraine's objective and preparations rather than announcing a confirmed operation date or a completed deployment.
