Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told a news conference that kyiv was preparing to take military action to seize Crimea. He later pointed out that by bringing him back, Russia would restore peace. And the deputy head of the intelligence department of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine Vadim Skibitsky announced the preparation of the Armed Forces of Ukraine for a counteroffensive. The stated aim is to “drive a gap in the Russian front in the south, between Crimea and mainland Russia”, to seize control of all Ukrainian ex-territories.
Sheremet, quoted by RIA Novosti, described such statements as an element of information warfare and populism. The true purpose of such statements is to “justify the losses that the Ukrainian nationalists will inflict on the front and somehow raise the fallen morale.”
But he warned that “a very unpleasant surprise” awaits them in case of aggression. The deputy assured that Russia would have enough determination to fully respond to any aggressor.
He called the Western backers of Ukraine, which supply weapons to kyiv, the main recipients of such statements.
Earlier, the head of the State Duma Defense Committee Andrei Kartapolov stressed that Ukraine does not have the resources to implement plans to seize Crimea, but kyiv will continue to create such threats. And Russia in this situation, according to Kartapolov, must “respond harshly to any provocation.”
