Bleak War... Ukraine Defense Minister "Optimistic for Ceasefire Within the Year"

Unable to provide specific evidence
"Appeal for tanks, missiles, and heavy weapons"

Buildings Destroyed in Eastern Ukraine's Donbas Amid Russian Full-Scale Offensive
[Image Source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Cha Min-young] As the Russia-Ukraine war surpasses 100 days, concerns have grown that the conflict will be prolonged, contrary to initial expectations. Although the Ukrainian Defense Minister expressed optimism in an interview with foreign media that the war could end within the year, he did not provide concrete evidence.

"Positive Outlook is End of War Within the Year"

According to CNN on the 4th (local time), Oleksii Reznikov, the Defense Minister, said at the Globsec-2022 forum held in Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia, "It is difficult to predict when the war will end," but added, "My positive outlook is that it could end by the end of the year."

Reznikov’s remarks came amid growing expectations that the war between the two countries will be prolonged as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine passes 100 days. However, he did not present specific grounds for this.

Meanwhile, Serhiy Haidai, Governor of Ukraine’s Luhansk region, claimed that Russia is deploying all available resources to capture the Severodonetsk area in Luhansk and has suffered significant losses. Severodonetsk is a strategic stronghold within Donbas, encompassing Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk and Luhansk provinces, through which Ukrainian forces’ supply routes pass, and Russian forces continue their offensive there.

"Multiple Launch Rocket Systems Needed"

Pro-Russian rebels occupying Popasna in eastern Ukraine
[Image source=Yonhap News]

Minister Reznikov stated, "The Ukrainian forces need not only artillery, tanks, anti-ship missiles, unmanned systems, missiles, and air defense missiles but still require heavy weapons, especially Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (MLRS)." MLRS is a rocket system capable of firing multiple rockets simultaneously, and the UK announced on the 2nd its plan to support the M270 MLRS with a range of 80 km.

He urged, "These weapons are needed quickly and in quantities appropriate to the level of threat," adding, "Ukraine has been at war without adequate support from the democratic world." He continued, "The situation is slowly changing," and explained, "We appreciate the commitment of the countries currently standing with Ukraine, and Ukraine is dedicated to increasing the efficiency of international support."

Furthermore, he said, "Ukraine has changed its philosophy regarding weapons supply," adding, "During the first month of the war, the focus was on securing anti-tank and air defense systems, but now the nature of the war has changed, and more heavy weapons are needed."

Minister Reznikov emphasized, "Russian forces are building deep defensive lines in the Kherson region," and stated, "Our goal is to prevent the realization of the Russian scenario and to liberate our territory as soon as possible." Kherson province is a strategic point located on the route from Crimea, which was annexed by Russia from Ukraine in 2014, to Ukraine’s inland and the eastern Donbas region. Russian forces took control of this area in mid-March and established a joint military-civilian government.

As the war prolongs, the damage on the Ukrainian side is also severe. According to the World Bank, Ukraine is estimated to suffer physical damages worth $4 billion (approximately 5 trillion KRW) weekly. Several Ukrainian cities have been destroyed by Russian bombings, and over 14 million people have fled so far. Most of those remaining in Ukraine still live underground.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.