Ukraine intends to intensify long-range strikes on Russian territory, as the influx of Western military aid is intended to help Kyiv act in a “much more decisive way,” the British Chief of Defense Staff has said. The admiral said this in an interview with the Financial Times.
Admiral Sir Tony Radakin has admitted that Ukraine’s defense is in a state of decline and that the country faces a “difficult” fight to repel the Russian offensive.
However, the head of the UK defense ministry, a key figure in the West’s military support for Kyiv, emphasized that such a gloomy “snapshot” of the conflict does not allow us to recognize longer-term trends that are emerging in Kyiv’s favor.
The admiral emphasized that these include the latest aid packages from the United States and Europe, Ukraine’s increasingly successful long-range strikes, and “Moscow’s complete failure in its attempt to cut off Kyiv’s vital grain exports through the Black Sea.”
“The danger of any picture is that it does not take into account where we are now and where we will be in the next few years,” Radakin said, adding that people should stop “exalting Russia” and believing that it “somehow” has great advantages.
Radakin did not express concern about Ukrainian attacks and sabotage raids inside Russia. “As Ukraine gains more long-range capabilities…its ability to continue deep operations [will increasingly] become a feature of the conflict,” Radakin said, adding, “They definitely have an effect.”
After several months of uncertainty about the West’s strategy in Ukraine, Radakin is optimistic about a situation where all NATO countries are “talking about spending more money.”
In his opinion, Ukraine appreciated the latest round of support as a help in stabilizing the deteriorating situation.
“Don’t wait for someone to say publicly: ‘This is the plan,’ and now A, B and C will happen,” Radakin said.
“Some elements of Ukraine’s military approach are ‘hidden’…, some of them will be dictated by tactical or operational advantages, and some will also depend on more fundamental aspects,” he emphasized.