The Russian bridge to the occupied Crimea is an illegally constructed hostile facility and a target that must be neutralized, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said.
“For us, it is a hostile facility, built illegally, contrary to international law and appropriate standards. For this reason, it is our goal, and any goal that brings with it war rather than peace should be neutralized.”
Zelensky said.
He recalled that Russia “uses the bridge to supply ammunition and militarize Crimea.” The Ukrainian president spoke via video link; The content of the speech was provided by the Ukrainska Pravda portal.
The recovery of Crimea is the goal of Ukraine
Zelensky stressed that Kiev’s goal is to regain the Crimean peninsula as a sovereign territory of Ukraine.
He admitted that the Ukrainian counter-offensive is progressing more slowly than expected. He explained that it was started later and gave Russia the opportunity to mine the areas and build a defense line. However, despite the difficulties, the Ukrainian forces are moving forward, the president argued. He stressed that Ukraine did not want to lose people and equipment, and therefore “was quite cautious about offensive operations.”
However, Zelensky assured that “we are approaching the moment when certain actions may gain momentum, because we are already passing through some places where there are mines and we are demining these areas.”
The bridge to the occupied Crimea, built by Russia in 2018, is one of the two main routes used by Russia to transport soldiers and military equipment to the south of Ukraine. July 17 the bridge was badly damaged; Ukraine’s representatives have not officially confirmed Kiev’s involvement in the incident. The Russians opened one-lane traffic on July 18, and they intend to launch two-lane traffic in the fall. According to experts, this situation will affect the logistics of the Russian army in southern Ukraine.
Source: PAP, niezalezna.pl
