Ukraine will be ready to launch a counteroffensive in the spring, and one of its main goals will be to “drive a wedge into the Russian front in the south,” the deputy head of Ukraine’s Defence Intelligence (HUR), Vadym Skibitskyi, said in an interview reported on February 26, 2023.
Splitting Crimea from Russia
Skibitskyi said the aim would be to drive a wedge between Crimea and mainland Russia on the southern front, Ukrainska Pravda reported, citing the interview. The exact start date of the counteroffensive would depend on several factors, including deliveries of Western weapons.
Belgorod
He did not rule out strikes on Russian military storage facilities, particularly in Belgorod Oblast, which he described as a source of attacks on Ukraine and a threat to Kharkiv.
1991 borders
The ultimate goal, Skibitskyi said, is to liberate all occupied Ukrainian territory, including Crimea, and the fighting will continue until Ukraine’s borders are restored to those of 1991.
Context
The interview came as Russia pressed its winter offensive in Donetsk Oblast, including around Bakhmut, and as Western countries prepared to deliver tanks and armoured vehicles to Ukraine. A land corridor through occupied parts of Zaporizhzhia and Kherson oblasts links Crimea to Russian-controlled territory, making the south a key strategic target.
Sources
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