According to him, now Western aid is focused on the urgent needs of the Ukrainian army, but a more strategic approach is needed.
To Ukraine win the war < The United States and other allies must help it build a special strategic force of five brigades. These 40,000 soldiers will be well prepared for offensive operations to force Russia to withdraw from Ukrainian territory.
This was stated in an interview with CNN by the former head of the US Special Forces Command in Europe, General Mike Repass. He is convinced that the international community must greatly increase its support if it wants Ukraine to be able to expel the aggressor from its territory. The publication reminds that Repass has been cooperating with the Armed Forces for the last 6 years at the request of the US government.
In his opinion, the Ukrainian army does not have enough equipment, firepower and trained soldiers to win the war. p>
“There will always be more troops in Russia. They may not be the best, but there will be more. As Stalin once said, “Quantity always turns into quality.” Most understand that this will be a battle of attrition. And at some point the situation will start to turn in Russia's favor if there are no additional Ukrainian forces, “Repass said.
He added that there is an awareness in NATO countries and the international community that something more needs to be done besides providing the Ukrainian army with resources in the current battle. According to the former American general, now the United States and its allies must do four things. First, to weaken Russia by increasing Ukraine's military capabilities. Secondly, to restrain Moscow by increasing NATO's defense capabilities. Third, to degrade the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation and their capabilities. And fourth, make sure that Russia is defeated in Ukraine. And this can be done by building strategic and operational reserve forces for Ukraine, capable of conducting offensive operations to expel Russian troops from Ukrainian territory and protect the country's borders.
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“It is necessary that the United States, France, Poland, Great Britain and Germany build on the Ukrainian brigade. These countries have significant military capabilities. They can generate forces by providing Ukrainian units and training them on their territories. This will result in five teams in five operating sectors. It will take 6-8 months to implement such a plan. These five brigades will have Western weapons and will be able to fight in the Western way. That is, it is an integrated approach to combat in the skies and on the ground, using all available means, including NATO-compatible tanks, sky support and air defense, “said the former US military official.
He acknowledged that five brigades is not much. And in the medium term, these forces can be doubled. At the same time, he is convinced that Ukraine is able to find an additional 40,000 troops to train such strategic units, given the current critical situation.
“Throughout history, when the Western military had to oppose an army provided by Russia, there were far fewer troops enough to destroy such an army. For example, during the Gulf War, the United States destroyed almost all of Saddam Hussein's army in Kuwait. We know that Western armaments have a qualitative advantage over Russian ones. That is why the balance of power changes dramatically when Western weapons oppose Russia, ”Repass explained.
Regarding the current situation in Ukraine, he stressed that Kyiv still needs a lot of help. NATO is moving too slowly at this time. Meanwhile, the United States does not see clearly what happens to weapons when they enter Ukrainian territory. According to Repass, the situation with military logistics in Ukraine is “personalized”, which is not very professional. Arms distribution priorities are determined without understanding the pace of use, the needs of future operations, or objective data. Just the commander of the conditional brigade X calls and says: “I need 27 Javelin missiles.” So it all depends on personal connections. And, according to the former US general, logistics during the war should not work that way. Kyiv needs to better assess the rate of consumption of important resources, such as fuel, ammunition, batteries, etc.
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Repass also explained that Russia is not waging war by maneuvers. This is not her method. Instead, the Russian army is using heavy artillery fire in eastern and southern Ukraine to completely destroy settlements and only then move forward. And she does it methodically. Also, according to Repassa, Russia is carrying out mass deportations of civilian Ukrainians to avoid guerrilla movements.
According to the former US general, the Russian-Ukrainian war will be difficult and painful if it lasts more than a year. And Repass believes that this conflict will last at least two years. If that happens, Putin will be able to declare victory by occupying the Ukrainian territories he has taken control of, “the former US general said.
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